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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26583523">The Flood</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/youmademesignup/pseuds/youmademesignup'>youmademesignup</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>The Umbrella Academy (Comics), The Umbrella Academy (TV)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Angst, Developing Relationship, Drug Use, F/M, Fluff, Slow Burn</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-09-21</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-01-31</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 12:33:00</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>28</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>78,359</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26583523</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/youmademesignup/pseuds/youmademesignup</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>"You once told me that I didn't belong in this family. You forced me to believe that was true. You were wrong."</p><p>Phoebe 'Bea' Hargreeves never thought she'd be reunited with her adoptive family after ten years of separation, but fate had seemingly drawn them all together once again.<br/>With a new threat looming over them, Bea must help navigate herself and her siblings through a sea of old relationships and heartache, in order to not only save themselves - but the world as well.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Klaus Hargreeves/Original Character(s), Klaus Hargreeves/Original Female Character(s)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>5</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>41</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. o n e</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Phoebe Hargreeves never thought she would see those intricate wrought iron gates again, let alone the umbrella insignia that emblazoned so carefully across them. The memories came flooding back of the last time she stood before the building they so elegantly blocked; the tears, anger, heartbreak and betrayal she felt as she 'ran away'. At least, that's how <em>he</em> had put it the very first time she had felt the taste of complete freedom. Freedom. Thinking of it as freedom only ever made her scoff. She had a job to do and she completed it. If things had gone the way she had envisioned, she never would have found herself crying on the streets some ten years ago, instead of back where she belonged. <em>He</em> cut the tether tying her to her home. <em>What a prick he was.</em></p><p>Shaking herself free of her memories, she took one step forward, hearing the soft creak of the gates as they swung open. As her pale hand still gripped the metal, one more step was all she managed before her vision became clouded once again. Another memory. They plagued her often; it was a part of her to be overwhelmed by memories. <em>I never asked for this, </em>she would tell herself. <em>Never asked to be blinded by my past. </em>It had nothing to do with her abilities - the attributes unique only to her.</p><p>This time, the memory was of a seven-year-old Phoebe. The conditions, ironically, were the same. It was late. It was raining. The streets were quiet and the only sound that could be heard was the muffled wailing of a little girl as she sat tied by the wrist to the very same wrought iron gates. Her mother, if she could ever call herself that, had desperately sought a way out of the situation life had thrown at her. It seemed the universehad told her that it was perfectly acceptable to abandon her only child outside the first household that <em>appeared</em> wealthy. As she scuttled off into the night, her confused and devastated daughter could do nothing but sit and wait. Wet, cold and hungry she cried, begging her mother to come back. When she finally realised that her mother wasn't coming back she begged the owner of the house to come outside and find her. Or anyone, really. She turned as the door opened, light and warmth from inside travelling down the steps and permeating through the chill that surrounded her...</p><p>"Miss Phoebe?"</p><p>Blinking suddenly, she was back in the present day. Her face was wet; from her own tears or the rain hammering down from above she couldn't be sure. She focused her sights on the open door, eyes connecting with those of a friendly face.</p><p>"Pogo, I told you it's 'Bea'." She said softly, her smile returning to her face only slightly.</p><p>"Apologies, Miss Bea." Her old friend replied. "Might it be a good idea to step out of the rain? Considering, of course, that you are not currently in possession of an umbrella."</p><p><em>Isn't that ironic? </em>Bea shook herself slightly, gearing herself up for the onslaught of memories that came as guarantee with the Academy. She stepped inside, slowly removing her jacket as she did so, placing the soaked garment gently in the awaiting arms of her old friend. She gazed upwards in awe. "You and Grace have kept this place in beautiful shape, Pogo, I've got to say."</p><p>"It is our sworn duty to look after the Academy as if it were still up and running."</p><p>Bea turned towards him with a sad smile on her face. "I am sorry for your loss. And for not keeping in contact over the past ten years. It's been...a difficult situation."</p><p>The professor smiled at her, brown eyes betraying his sadness. "I understand, Miss Bea. Circumstances cannot be helped. As for <em>my</em> loss – it is your loss too."</p><p>"Maybe it could've been, but in the end he was happier without me," Bea stated, eyes glazing over slightly with an emotion that could only be described as betrayal. "He had his Number One."</p><p>Glancing at her with restrained sympathy, Pogo spoke up. "The others will be happy to see you; they are around, should you choose to stay and explore the house." On this note, he turned and walked away, leaving Bea to her thoughts.</p><p><em>The others...</em>Would they even want to see her? Her exit from the Academy was amicable; she was still family and when she left they were eager to await her return, whenever that would be. They had all promised to be there when she got back – but that wasn't the case for when she actually did. Some memories were strong; they remained locked up in her brain for easy retrieval. But some memories were burned onto the forefront of her mind and plagued her every waking second of the day. One such memory was of her eighteenth birthday. </p><p>*<b>11 years ago*</b></p><p><em>She had made it. She had </em>survived. <em>She never could have expected what was waiting for her when she had reached her destination those three months ago; yet she had managed to deal with the unknown as she always did. There was only one thing keeping her going now, one thing stopping her mind from caving in on itself and driving her to panicked insanity: the thought of her family. Bea's early life was never full of constants. Her birth mother's 'boyfriends' came and went, mealtimes changed (if they came at all), and the onslaught of loneliness and isolation fluctuated. Yet, past the age of seven, she became a part of something special. She was</em> loved.</p><p>
  <em>Family life was tumultuous – she never really saw Reginald Hargreeves as her father and not all of the children made it past the 'friend' stage to become 'siblings'. Bea supposed, in that regard, she was the luckiest of them all; she got to pick and choose. She loved them all in different ways. Well, all but one.</em>
</p><p><em>It was her eighteenth birthday; </em>their<em> eighteenth birthday. Bea had hoped that she would make it back for this day, considering how special it was. It was a milestone to celebrate the fact that after all the hardships of childhood, they had nearly all made it to adulthood and finally had a chance to be free from 'regimented torture'; Klaus' words not hers. Thinking of Klaus, she smiled. He was special to her, that was for certain. Klaus was never a sibling to Bea and nor was he just a friend; he was...something else. He had cried when she left, being the drama queen that he was.</em></p><p>'You'd better come back soon, you hear? Otherwise, I'll have to hunt you down and drag you back here myself. And if I die trying to do that, you'll have it on your conscience forever!'<em> His words played over like a broken record and she knew she had to fulfil her promise to return as soon as she was able; if just to feel his arms around her again.</em></p><p><em>Walking up to the imposing wooden doors of her home, she hesitated only for a second before pushing them open and rushing inside. "Happy birthday - surprise, I'm back! I told you I'd make it in time to join in with the celebrations!" She cried out. But there was no answer. "Guys?" Bea walked through the foyer, poking her head into the living room. No luck. She crossed the hall, searching for any sign of life. There wasn't any. </em>Maybe they're all on a mission? <em>Starting to panic, she rushed upstairs to Reginald's office. "Reginald?" Her questioning was met only with silence. </em>What is going on? <em>She thought to herself.</em></p><p>
  <em>"You're too late." A gruff voice rang out behind her. Bea turned, gaze meeting the one face she didn't want to see.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"Luther? Where is everyone?" She asked. "W-what do you mean by I'm 'too late'?"</em>
</p><p>
  <em>He scowled. "There's no one left here, Phoebe. They got tired of waiting for you to come back."</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Confused, Bea laughed, "So...you expect me to believe that you're the only one who waited for me? Seriously, where is everyone?"</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"I didn't stay here for you," Luther snarled, "I stayed here for my father. And I already told you: they're gone."</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Bea glared at him, hands starting to shake. "I don't have time for your bullshit, Luther; just tell me where they are."</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"I don't know."</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"You don't know?"</em>
</p><p>
  <em>He shook his head. "No. And even if I did, I wouldn't tell you."</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"Excuse me?" As her hands started to vibrate even more with rage, the water in Luther's glass began to shake as well.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"You abandoned us!" Luther shouted, his booming voice reverberating around the halls.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"I NEVER ABANDONED THEM!" Bea shouted back, her voice at an equal volume to her childhood rival. As she shouted, the glass in Luther's hand shattered in all directions, the water splashing against the floor and walls.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Luther remained silent for a moment, shaking his hand free of the remnants of glass and liquid that lingered, before speaking again. This time, his tone seemed reigned in and calmer. "You left; that's all that they care about. You were gone for over three months with no letters, no calls, nothing. Did you really expect them to still be here when you came back?"</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"I-"</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"Just leave, </em>
  <b>
    <em>Number Eight</em>
  </b>
  <em>. Don't bother coming back."</em>
</p><p><em>Number Eight?</em> <em>Bea was lost for words. How dare Luther tell her to leave her own home? "You can't kick me out, Number One, this is my home too! What about Reginald – where is he?"</em></p><p><em>"He's out. You should probably know that he never mourned the loss of you. Do you see a painting of you anywhere? Or a statue? You were </em>never<em> his daughter."</em></p><p>
  <em>Hot tears were running freely down Bea's face now. She couldn't speak; she could barely breathe. She ran down the stairs, heading straight for the front door and out of this nightmare. Luther remained on her tail, stalking behind her with animalistic dominance. As Bea reached the doors, she paused, turning around to face Luther. Breathing heavily, she managed a weak, "Happy birthday," before yanking the handle and fleeing onto the city's streets.</em>
</p><p>----------------------------------------------------</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. t w o</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <b>*Present day*</b>
</p><p>"I guess we should get this started."</p><p>There it was. That one poignant voice that haunted her memories. Bea turned her head sharply to the left, towards the living room. She could hear other voices from within the room, so she assumed they had all convened together. <em>Seems like Luther has erased me from the family completely.</em></p><p>"So, I figured we could have a sort of memorial service in the courtyard at sundown." Luther continued. "Say a few words, just at Dad's favourite spot."</p><p>"Dad had a favourite spot?" Allison asked.</p><p>"You know, under the oak tree. We used to sit there all the time. None of you ever did that?"</p><p>"Am I invited?" Stepping into the room, all eyes turned towards the new voice, seeing in its place the beautiful redheaded woman. A few gasped once they had realised that the woman in the doorway was their long-lost sister; only aged ten years. Allison stood from where she was perched with a shocked look on her face.</p><p>"Bea?" Allison asked, tentatively, as if she couldn't believe her estranged sister was standing in the doorway. Bea had always loved Allison. Growing up, the latter always shared her beauty tips with Bea and they would sometimes perform karaoke numbers together – when free time was permitted, of course. Allison had certainly earned the title of 'sister'.</p><p>On hearing Bea's name, a head of messy black hair suddenly popped up from behind the bar. <em>Klaus. </em>He looked towards Allison. "Did you just say 'Bea'?" Quicker than lighting, his head whipped towards the doorway, eyes widening as he took in the sight before him. Bea smiled, her face genuine and warm, and that was the only cue Klaus needed to rush over and encase her in his arms. His hug seemed stiff at first, only for a millisecond, as if he were expecting to run straight through her form. Once he realised that she was, in fact, real he relaxed and breathed her in. "I've missed you."</p><p>Bea hugged him back with equal enthusiasm, tears springing to her eyes. "I've missed you too." Klaus pulled back, holding her at arm's length and looked deeply at her, seemingly memorising the details of her face. As Bea looked into his eyes, the realisation of his state hit her like a freight train. <em>He's high. </em>As she focused on the thin sheen of sweat covering his skin, as well as his enlarged pupils, the guilt overwhelmed her - but she tried not to let it show on the outside. <em>I should've been there for him; I should've looked harder. If I'd found him earlier maybe he wouldn't have done this to himself again...</em></p><p>"Oh, I know! I'll get you a drink." Klaus let her go and bounced over to the bar, creating some sort of Frankenstein cocktail for his former sweetheart. As he did so, Bea looked back into the room. Ignoring Luther's disbelieving stare, she made her way over to Allison and hugged her tightly. As she moved to sit next to Vanya, Diego spoke up.</p><p>"What, no hug for me?"</p><p>Bea chuckled fondly. "I thought you were 'too cool for hugs'?"</p><p>As Diego embraced her, he muttered, "When did I ever say that?"</p><p>"Only every time I tried to hug you when we were kids."</p><p>Pulling back, Bea smiled at Diego – a smile that he returned – and started to make her way back over to the sofa. "Vanya."</p><p>"Bea."</p><p>"Are you going to stand up so I can hug you, or what?"</p><p>With slight hesitancy, Vanya stood and hugged her old friend. Their relationship had always been interesting. Bea was a happy soul as a child and tried to be friends with all of the Hargreeves siblings. Unfortunately, due to Vanya's childhood illness and Reginald's strict regimes, the two never had much alone time together to bond. However, every chance Bea had to be kind to Vanya she took. Even after Vanya's book was published – which did share some choice words about Bea – no resentment was ever held.</p><p>As Bea and Vanya broke apart, they both sat down, the former finally locking eyes with the man across from her. Offering him a tight-lipped smile, she spoke. "I just wanted to say, Luther: thanks for waiting for me to arrive before discussing funeral arrangements." Bea let out, tone tinged with malice. She wasn't eighteen anymore. No longer was she afraid to stand up for herself.</p><p>Luther's eyes narrowed slightly. "This is <em>our</em>," he gestured to everyone in the group aside from Bea, "father's funeral. We have the right to make funeral arrangements without you."</p><p>Bea shook her head in disbelief, letting out a cold laugh. "You want to start this now? Okay. Reginald may not have been my father, but he was the closest thing I ever had to one. He raised me for ten years!" Her features reset to a cold look and she leaned forwards slightly, hands resting on her knees. "You have no right to insinuate that I don't belong here."</p><p>Just as Luther was about to retort, a voice came from the back of the room, breaking the tension. "Will there be refreshments? Tea? Scones? Cucumber sandwiches are always a winner."</p><p>"What?" Luther replied with confusion. "No." As Klaus hopped around the sofa, he handed Bea a drink that she took from him, gratefully sipping on the alcoholic concoction. Luther gestured to the cigarette hanging from his brother's mouth, "And put that out; you know Dad didn't allow smoking in here."</p><p>"Is that my skirt?" On hearing her sister's question, Bea glanced over at what Klaus was wearing; not having previously noticed that he was indeed modelling one of Allison's old skirts.</p><p>"What? Oh, yeah, this. I found it in your room." A slight chuckle fell from Bea's lips at this revelation; it was just like Klaus to go snooping around his siblings' rooms. Nothing had changed. "It's a little dated, I know, but it's very breathy on the...bits." As Klaus gestured to his nether regions, Bea's chuckle became a full-blown laugh. The tall man next to her smiled widely, doing a little twirl to show off his ensemble before he sat down in the space beside her, their shoulders touching.</p><p>Her moment of joy was interrupted. "Listen up. Still some important things that we need to discuss, all right?" <em>Always the killjoy, Luther.</em></p><p>Diego piped up, "Like what?"</p><p>"Like the way he died."</p><p>"And here we go," Diego muttered, rolling his eyes as his gaze dropped away from his brother.</p><p>The topic of conversation peaked Vanya's interest. "I don't understand," she said with confusion, "I thought they said it was a heart attack."</p><p>"Yeah, according to the coroner."</p><p>"Well, wouldn't they know?" Vanya asked.</p><p>"Theoretically." Luther replied.</p><p>"<em>Theoretically?"</em></p><p>Luther turned to face Allison. "I'm just saying, at the very least, something happened. The last time that I talked to Dad, he sounded strange."</p><p>"Oh, quelle surprise!" Klaus gurgled out, spitting his drink onto himself as he leaned back. Bea wasn't sure whether to laugh or cringe.</p><p>"Strange how?" Allison asked, attempting to bring some sense back into the conversation.</p><p>"He sounded on edge. Told me I should be careful who to trust." As Luther said this, he turned his gaze towards Bea, an action that she did not miss.</p><p>"Luther, he was a paranoid, bitter old man who was starting to lose what was left of his marbles," Diego stated, slowly standing up from his seat and walking towards his brother.</p><p>"No," Luther shook his head. "He must have known something was going to happen." Suddenly, Luther turned his attention to Klaus. "Look, I know you don't like to do it, but I need you to talk to Dad."</p><p>Klaus scoffed, slowly sitting up. "I can't just call Dad in the afterlife and be like, 'Dad, could you stop playing tennis with Hitler for a moment and take a quick call?'"</p><p>"Since when? That's your thing." Luther pointed out incredulously.</p><p>"I'm not in the right...frame of mind–!"</p><p>
  <em>He's high.</em>
</p><p>"You're high?" Allison asked.</p><p>"Yeah! Yeah!" He laughed. "I mean, how are you not, listening to this nonsense?" Bea rolled her eyes; it <em>was </em>nonsense.</p><p>"Well, sober up. This is important!" Klaus only sighed in response. Luther continued, "Then there's the issue of the missing monocle–"</p><p>Diego rolled his eyes, muttering, "Who gives a shit about a stupid monocle?"</p><p>"Exactly. It's worthless. So whoever took it, I think it was personal. Someone close to him. Someone with a grudge."</p><p>"Where are you going with this?" Klaus asked, confused.</p><p>"Oh, isn't it obvious, Klaus?" Diego stated, taking a menacing step towards Luther. "He thinks one of us killed Dad."</p><p>"What?" Bea couldn't help but speak up. "I always knew you were deluded, but this is something else. You really think it was one of us?"</p><p>The room was filled momentarily with silence, answering her question without the need of words.</p><p>"You do?" Klaus exclaimed.</p><p>"How could you think that?" Vanya asked, her voice laced with hurt.</p><p>"Great job, Luther." Diego stated slowly. "Way to lead." On this, he proceeded to walk out of the living room.</p><p>"That's not what I'm saying–"</p><p>"You're crazy, man. You're crazy." Klaus stood, collecting his drink as he turned to leave the room as well. "Crazy."</p><p>Just before Klaus reached the door, Luther spoke up again, trying to save himself from the hole in which he had begun to dig. "I've not finished."</p><p>Klaus span around. "Okay, well. Sorry, I'm just gonna go murder Mom. Be right back." On this, he too left the room, followed by Vanya and Allison.</p><p>"I didn't – Allison. Jeez." Luther sighed. "That went well."</p><p>A slow clapping sound pierced the silence. "Well, I see your leadership skills haven't changed; you're still selfish."</p><p>Looking over to the woman left sitting on the sofa, Luther rolled his eyes. "I don't need your sarcastic commentary, Phoebe."</p><p>"Oh!" Bea chimed as she stood, sarcasm lacing her tone. "I'm 'Phoebe' now? Last I heard it was 'Number Eight'."</p><p>"That was a long time ago."</p><p>She scoffed. "Yeah, it was. And it still single-handedly remains the worst moment of my life." As the memories threatened to resurface once again, Bea clenched her fists as an attempt to keep them at bay; the well-manicured nails digging into her flesh kept her mind occupied. "It was one thing to ignore me, or talk about me behind my back, but to reduce me to a number and kick me out of my home? You truly became a heartless bastard that day."</p><p>Regret very briefly flashed across Luther's face before the cold façade replaced it. "You don't know what I was going through."</p><p>"What you were going through? Are you serious?" Bea brought her hands to her face in exasperation. "Do you know what I went through just before I got back? What I <em>went through </em>once you forced me onto the streets with no money, no spare clothes and nowhere to live? Oh, I'm <em>so</em> sorry that you were left in this great big house with a father and a mother that loved you; with food to eat and a safe place to sleep!" She stepped forward, crossing the threshold between them to stand face to face with him. Because of the slight height difference, Bea had to tilt her head upwards; but it made her no less intimidating. "Grow. Up." She motioned toward the doorway. "I think you should leave."</p><p>"I'm not going to leave my house-"</p><p>"Then go somewhere else; I don't care! I'm just sick of the sight of you."</p><p>Rather than argue with her, Luther stared, unwavering, then took a step back, retreating towards the direction of his room. Bea turned her head towards the ceiling, letting out a large sigh and feeling the adrenaline leave her body. As she deflated, she couldn't quite believe what she had done. Never in a million years had she thought she could ever face Luther in the way that she had. She was proud of herself; especially proud of the fact that nothing had exploded this time; (considering there was a lot of liquid around, her self-control astounded her). She was also incredulous to the simple fact that he had obeyed her command.</p><p>After a beat, she had calmed down. It was only then that she felt a pair of painted green eyes burning a hole into the side of her head. Turning towards the portrait of her long lost brother, she sighed again. "Would you be proud of me for doing that just now, Five?" She asked. "You always said I should just bite the bullet and scream at him." Laughing softly, her mood dipped. "God I miss you." On that final solemn thought, Bea left the living room to head to her old bedroom, not yet comprehending the emotional rollercoaster on which she was about to embark.</p><p>_______________________________________________</p><p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. t h r e e</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Her room was exactly as she remembered; it was exactly as she had left it all those years ago. The off-white walls were covered in fairy lights and a variety of paintings that Bea had completed over her time at the Academy. The majority of these paintings were watercolours – the water always responded to her touch as if it were under a spell. She had always had a connection with water; she could sense it, <em>feel </em>it around her, and move it with merely a thought.</p><p>'<em>You must command the element as if you are the great god Poseidon himself!' </em>Reginald used to say to her during their training sessions.Because of the intensity of her training, Bea took up painting as a way to centre herself and relax. Her creations were a mixture of extravagant blends of colour, leaping across the pages in swirls, and more subtle artworks: portraits, landscapes and doodles born from her complicated mind.</p><p>She focused on a painting she had done of Five a month before he had disappeared. It was pinned up next to a photograph; the one she had used as reference. In both images, Five's face was scrunched up in thought, a combination of concentration and frustration. It was a candid – Bea had snuck up on her favourite brother and snapped the shot without his consent. He had been angry about it later, until he saw the painting she had made. Her raw talent had more than made up for her espionage.</p><p>As her eyes worked their way around the room, they stopped on her vanity mirror. Taped (rather crudely) to the frame were two more photographs. One was of a twelve-year-old Five and Bea, sitting next to each other by the tree in the courtyard. It had been warm that day, so both of the children had removed their blazers. Bea remembered it fondly.</p><p>
  <b>*18 years ago*</b>
</p><p>
  <em>Five had stormed out of the living room, calling his siblings 'idiots' as he did so. Only Bea had bothered to run after him, uncomfortable with the thought of her best friend being upset.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"Five, wait!" She called out, struggling to keep up with his advancing form. "Would you slow down please?"</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"That would defeat the point of not wanting to be followed!" Five retorted, turning his head briefly just before he spatial jumped away from her.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Bea huffed as she continued to chase after him, finally catching sight of him as he stormed out into the courtyard. Once she had passed through the doorway and into the sun, she hunched over with her hands on her knees, her breathing ragged. "You can't just call them 'idiots', Five. It's not their fault they don't get it," she said. Taking in a deep breath, she added, "Phew, you're fast!"</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"They are idiots! It's so simple even a monkey could understand."</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Bea laughed, straightening herself up. "Of course Pogo understands; he's a professor!"</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Five rolled his eyes, turning to face her. "I didn't mean Pogo."</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"Who did you mean then?"</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Five let out an exasperated sigh. "I just meant an ordinary monkey! Why are you putting words into my mouth?"</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"Because it annoys you," Bea said with a cheeky smile.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Five paused, mouth hanging open as he uncharacteristically struggled to think of a comeback. After a beat he relaxed, face morphing into a subconscious grin. Bea lit up at this.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"Ah, I knew I could get you to smile! Pretty good for an 'idiot', huh?"</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"You're not included in that, Bea. I'd never call you an idiot." He paused momentarily and pretended to think. "Unless, of course, you deserve to be called one."</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Bea nodded. "Well, yeah. Then you'd just be keeping me honest." She walked towards her brother, grabbing his arm and pulling him along with her. "Come on, let's go and sit by the big tree." On approaching said tree, the two of them sat down together. "Five?" Bea asked.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"Yeah?"</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"I won't pretend to know how your mind works; or even know what you're talking about half the time. But you can always come and talk to me when things get tough. You know that, right?"</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Five looked over at the redheaded girl to his right. "Yeah, I know. You're the only one I can really tolerate." As an after-thought, he added, "Aside from Vanya."</em>
</p><p>
  <em>She couldn't ignore the slight wave of jealousy that coursed through her when Five mentioned Vanya. She calmed, however, when she convinced herself that he 'tolerated' her because she was kind to everyone. "...Thank you?"</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Five chuckled. "You're welcome."</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Perking up suddenly, Bea reached for her pocket, pulling out a disposable camera. "Hey, I know – let's take a picture!"</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Her brother's face contorted into disbelief. "Okay, one: how and why do you have a disposable camera? And two: why do you want to take a picture now?"</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"Because I bought it and because you're my brother and my best friend and I want to take a nice picture of us to keep forever," Bea said with a serious expression.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Five relented, rolling his eyes and throwing his arm around Bea, smiling at the camera. After a few seconds, the camera clicked and the memory was eternally saved.</em>
</p><p>
  <b>*Present day*</b>
</p><p>Taking the photograph down from the mirror, Bea slipped it into the pocket of her jeans. She turned her attention to the other photograph; this time it was of herself and Klaus. They were seventeen, a week before she had made her journey out into the 'real world'. Klaus had his arms wrapped around her shoulders as he forcefully kissed her cheek, leaving the girl to laugh as she took the photo. It was a beautiful candid and of incredible sentimental value to Bea. She couldn't believe that she had forgotten to take it with her when she left and was hoping to retrieve it when she came back those eleven years ago. If only the big brute hadn't intervened.</p><p>Taking the picture from its place on the mirror, Bea placed it alongside the other in her pocket. As she went to lie down on her bed for a moment, there was a light knock on her door.</p><p>"Little Red?" Came a questioning voice from the other side. Her door wasn't fully closed, so the figure behind it need only give it a gentle push as it swung open. <em>Little Red? </em>She hadn't heard that name in over a decade and it made her heart flutter. There was only one person who used to call her by that ridiculous nickname...</p><p>Looking over, Bea took in the sight before her. "Hey, Klaus."</p><p>"Are you busy?"</p><p>She laughed softly. "Do I look busy?"</p><p>"Oh, good! Good! I was hoping you'd be free." He walked past her and plonked himself down on her bed heavily, laying on his side. "You know – every time I see you, it's like it's not real. Like it's all in my head!" He laughed and, to Bea's displeasure, seemed to be berating himself. All she could think about was what the drugs must be doing to him. She always knew why he took them – why he claimed to <em>need</em> them. After what Reginald had put him through as a child, it was no surprise that he would cling to the one thing left that could subdue the voices in his head. Unfortunately, Klaus mistook her silence for another thing entirely.</p><p>"You're disappointed in me." He stated, sadly.</p><p>"Hmm?" Bea shook herself from her thoughts. "What? No, I'm not disappointed in you." Taking a step forward, she sat herself down carefully next to him, where his head lay propped up on his hand. "Why would you think that?"</p><p>Klaus sighed, sitting up and turning towards her. "Because I'm high?" he questioned.</p><p>Bea looked at him, noticing how sad his puppy dog eyes were. "I could never be disappointed in you," she said softly. "If anything, I'm disappointed in myself."</p><p>Confusion took over his handsome features. "Why would you be disappointed in yourself?"</p><p>Looking away, she replied, "Because I wasn't there. I knew what me leaving might do to you and I still did it anyway. After all of the shit with Luther on our 18th birthday, I <em>did</em> try to find you; but I couldn't! I wasn't there to help you get through it anymore." Guilty tears started to well up in her eyes and she turned her head to face him once again. "I'm so sorry, Klaus."</p><p>He may have still been intoxicated, but the one thing that could sober him in an instant was seeing his best friend crying. "Hey, hey." He said, tenderly. Placing his arms around her, he pulled her in for a hug. "None of this is your fault, do you hear me? Ol' Reggie is the one who's responsible for this fucked up mess."</p><p>"You're not a fucked up mess." Though her words were muffled into his chest, Klaus still heard them.</p><p>"Thanks, Red. You're a terrible liar; but thank you. By the way – what did you mean about our 18th birthday?"</p><p><em>He hadn't told them. </em>Of course he hadn't. The shock in the room during her surprise arrival had been palpable. Why else would everyone be so stunned unless Luther had spun some intricate tale of her abandonment and deceit? Klaus had acted as if he'd seen a ghost; literally. Bea was frustrated at herself for not having realised this sooner. In her absence from the Academy over the years, she had allowed herself to believe Luther was right. She had scolded herself constantly for giving up the search for the others so quickly; a decision she had only made because Luther's words got into her head and convinced her that they wouldn't want to see her. For a moment, she hugged Klaus to her even tighter, not knowing if, and when, she would see him again. "It doesn't matter."</p><p>After a little while, the tall man pulled away, accepting her cryptic answer. His face perked up suddenly, as if remembering what he came to talk to her about in the first place. His short-lived sobriety was replaced by his true state. "Ooh! I was about to go and try to summon Dad. You wanna come?"</p><p>Looking up at his unfocused but beaming smile, Bea couldn't help but accept. "Sure thing."</p><p>----------------------------------------------------</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. f o u r</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Bea found herself mildly entertained by Klaus' attempts to conjure Reginald Hargeeves.</p><p>"Listen up, old man. You know," he swayed as he spoke, "if I was murdered, and if one of my sons - <em>adopted sons - </em>happened to be able to commune with the dead, I might think about..." Klaus paused, laughing to himself. "I don't know, I don't know, <em>manifesting!</em> Do the whole big, angry ghost lecture. Tell everyone who done it and find eternal peace."</p><p>"Eternal peace is probably overrated," Bea shrugged.</p><p>"Come on now, Reggie. Any time now. <em>Please</em>."</p><p>Watching Klaus try to summon his dearly departed father with his belly button really put his drugged up state into perspective. While the interaction between man and urn was somewhat entertaining, Bea couldn't help but dampen her smile in realisation that, though he was great at pretending, Klaus was not okay.</p><p>"Just need to sober up!" he exclaimed, slapping himself in the face a few times. <em>Point proven, </em>Bea thought to herself. "Clear thoughts. Come on, chop-chop!" Growing frustrated, Klaus shouted loudly at his recently deceased father, "You always were a stubborn bastard!" Turning his head towards the woman sitting on the sofa next to him, he ended his attempts at conjuring. "I don't know about you, but I need a drink." As Klaus reached clumsily behind the urn towards the liquid gold, he knocked his father's ashes over, spilling them along the countertop. "Oh!"</p><p>Bea stood up quick as a flash and gasped. "Klaus!"</p><p>"Oops!" he said with a giggle.</p><p>"Oh, god. That's not funny! Y-you need to put them back." Bea chided, worry overtaking her dismay.</p><p>"I will, I will. Just let me get a little drink first."</p><p>Walking up next to him, Bea put her hand over Klaus'. "I think sweeping your dad's ashes back into his urn is a bit more important than alcohol, right?"</p><p>Klaus paused in his movements, knowing she had him there. Letting out an exaggerated sigh, he relented. "Fine." Using his hand as a brush, Klaus collected together the remains of Reginald and returned them to their rightful place. "So, I'm going to go make a little snacky for my tum - you want anything?"</p><p>"I'm good, thanks. I think I'll go and lie down for a while; it's been a heavy day for me so far." Passing by Klaus on the way to her room, Bea reached up to place a hand on his face, kissing his cheek fondly. "See you later."</p><p>Phoebe Hargreeves didn't turn around as she left the room; if she had she would have seen her childhood sweetheart lift his hand to cover the place where her lips had graced his skin, smiling dreamily.</p><p>---------------------------------------------------------</p><p>Try as she might, Bea just couldn't sleep. She was drained; family reunions tended to do that. Sleep was exactly what she needed - a twenty minute powernap would have done wonders for her mental health. And yet...something, or some<em>one</em>, was keeping her awake. Every time she closed her eyes he appeared, a gift carved by the Muses themselves. He had always been beautiful and the thing she loved most about him was his eyes. Even with the amount of poison he had pumping through his veins, they sparkled, big and forest green.</p><p>They were seven when they met. He was the first of the children to speak to her and his easy nature allowed them to become fast friends. As they grew older, their friendship blossomed into something more - or tried to. The attraction was there, both physical and mental, but something always held the boy back. It was only when they were sixteen that their 'relationship' could start to blossom, due to her blunt confrontation about it.</p><p>
  <b>*13 years ago*</b>
</p><p>
  <em>'Klaus...am I getting the wrong message here?" The girl asked, sitting down on the floor.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"About what?" The boy replied, placing himself next to her.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"Do you like me?" She asked bluntly. "As more than a friend?"</em>
</p><p>
  <em>He paused, shyly answering, "...yes."</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"Then why do you shy away every time we almost - you know."</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"Kiss?"</em>
</p><p>
  <em>She nodded. He sighed, bringing his knees up to his chest. "I'm confused about myself."</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Looking over at him, her eyebrows furrowed. "What do you mean?"</em>
</p><p><em>"I like you. I like </em>girls<em>. But..." He froze.</em></p><p>
  <em>She placed her hand carefully on his shoulder, encouraging him to continue. "But?"</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"I think I like boys as well." Shoving his face into his knees, he mumbled, "I'll understand if you're disgusted by me."</em>
</p><p><em>Placing both hands firmly on his shoulders, Bea moved herself in front of him and forced him to look at her. "Listen to me, Klaus Hargreeves. Never</em> <em>think that something like that would ever make me disgusted by you! It's okay if you like both girls and boys; it doesn't make you anything but yourself. Besides," she smiled with a wink, "that just means you have more choice of who to date."</em></p><p>
  <em>Wiping his eyes, which had begun to tear up, the boy smiled. He reached up to cup one hand delicately around her porcelain cheek. "Right now, I think I want to date you."</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Looking deeply into one another's eyes, they leaned forwards slowly, finally cementing their feelings for each other as their lips connected.</em>
</p><p>
  <b>*Present day*</b>
</p><p>As the memory of their first kiss resurfaced, Bea realised that she hadn't thought about it in a long while. It always made the jealousy within her claw its way out; thinking of Klaus being involved with anyone but her always did. It also made her very possessive - aggressively so - and she had to remind herself that not only did she not own him, but <em>she </em>was the one who left him behind in the first place.</p><p>Just as she was about to berate herself even further, a low rumbling sound surrounded her, vibrating through the walls.<em> Is that...music? </em>She thought. As she strained her ears to recognise the song, she couldn't help but tap her feet to the rhythm from where she lay. Tiffany's 'I think we're alone now' blasted through the halls and, to Bea's ignorance, the whole family began to dance in their respective rooms. She got up from her bed, threw off her light hoodie and let herself go, moving around her room to the music without a care in the world. She couldn't remember the last time she felt this free-</p><p>*CRACK*</p><p>She stopped in her movements, jumping at the sound of thunder that reverberated around her skull. The glass jars on her desk began to rattle as they shook, knocking against one another. As the tremors increased in ferocity, one of the jars slipped and fell from the shelf, smashing into thousands of sharp fragments on the ground below. "What the fuck is happening?" Bea exclaimed, shouting over the noise of the glass and the increasing volume of the tumultuous weather outside. As if possessed by some otherworldly force, objects in her room began to float around her. A scream left her lips as a particularly deadly pallet knife flew past, narrowly missing her face. "Okay - time to leave." As she made her way to the door, and attempted to dodge the floating art supplies, a wayward shard of glass slipped through, catching her on the cheek. "Ow, son of a..." she murmured, shielding the rest of her face with a hand as she ran from the room.</p><p>As she left, she caught sight of Allison. "Allison!" Bea called, running ahead to catch up to her sister. "Do you have any idea what's causing this?"</p><p>"No!" Allison shouted back. "Let's go outside and check it out!" Grabbing Bea's wrist, Allison dragged her forwards, running up the stairs and towards the source of the commotion.</p><p>---------------------------------------------------------</p><p>When they eventually made it outside, Bea couldn't quite believe what she was seeing. By this point in her life, she shouldn't be surprised by anything abnormal; considering what she and her family could do. And yet - this was <em>something else</em>. Whatever it was, Bea couldn't help but feel that there was something eerily familiar about it.</p><p>"What is it?" Vanya cried, struggling to be heard over the volume of the anomaly. As she stepped forward, Allison's hand reached out to grasp her.</p><p>"Don't get too close!"</p><p>"Yeah, no shit." Diego replied.</p><p>Luther, being the 'leader' that he was, stepped up to diagnose the problem. "Looks like some sort of temporal anomaly."</p><p><em>Like you have any idea what that is, </em>Bea thought.</p><p>"Either that," Luther continued, unaware of Bea's mental mockery, "or a miniature black hole. One of the two."</p><p>"Pretty big difference there, Paul Bunyan." Diego chided. Despite herself, Bea chuckled.</p><p>In the midst of Luther's insatiable need to be the best, it seemed no one had noticed that a certain skirt-clad man hadn't joined them outside. Their only awareness of him was his sudden and triumphant entrance...armed with a fire extinguisher. Shoving his way to the front of the group, he cried, "Out of the way!" before pointing the hose of the extinguisher towards the anomaly and attempting to douse it. When that didn't work, he hurled the object quite heroically into the glowing void.</p><p>Bea stared in shock. "It swallowed it!"</p><p>At the same time, Allison asked, incredulously, "What is that gonna do?"</p><p>Still facing away from the rest of the family, Klaus exclaimed, "I don't know! Do you have a better idea?"</p><p>As Allison stared at her brother in disbelief, the entity in the centre of the courtyard began to crackle even more menacingly with electricity, shooting it out in all directions. As a particularly nasty strand came too close to their feet, Luther stepped forward, ushering the rest of them behind his enormous form.</p><p>"Whoa, whoa, whoa. Everybody get behind me."</p><p>"Yeah," continued Diego as he stepped forward, not one to be overshadowed in the bravery department. "Get behind <em>us</em>."</p><p>"I vote for running - come on!" As Klaus began to run towards the house, he grasped Bea's wrist and attempted to pull her to safety alongside him. Bea, however, didn't want to miss the conclusion of the terrifying event so stood her ground, pulling him back to stand next to her. As they stood, waiting, Bea felt Klaus slip his hand down from her wrist, grasping her hand tightly. She held his with equal force, feeling a familiar comfort seep into her state of fear.</p><p>Suddenly, a figure appeared in the centre of the void, pained expression on his face as he seemed to be pushing through an invisible barrier. "Is that...an old guy?" Bea shouted. Before her question could be answered, the figure dropped through, landing with a harsh <em>thud </em>onto the ground below. Just as quickly as it appeared, the sparking blue void vanished into thin air, settling the weather as it went. The family all took tentative steps together towards the man on the ground, trying to assess whether or not he was a threat.</p><p>As the figure pushed himself to his feet, Bea's movements stopped. She froze. Her breath was ripped out of her and she felt as if she had just been sucker punched in the gut. Her unusual orange eyes widened, filling with tears. <em>This cannot be real, </em>she thought.</p><p>Klaus, whose hand was still intertwined with Bea's, was involuntarily pulled to a stop as he tried to continue walking forwards. He turned, just for a moment, to register the look on the redheaded woman's face, before turning back to the man - well <em>boy - </em>on the ground in front of them. "Does anyone else see little Number Five, or is that just me?" he questioned.</p><p>Five looked down at himself, uttering a small "Shit."</p><p>Five's words jolted Bea back to the present. Shaking her head slightly and blinking hard, she wrenched her hand from Klaus' and ran forwards, tearing past Luther and Diego to get to her long-lost brother. When she got to him a second later, she threw her arms around him, holding him tight as tears streamed down her face. She couldn't speak; she didn't even try to. Her hug was enough to convey exactly what she was feeling in that moment.</p><p>Five stood stock-still, unsure at first how to react to his now older looking sister and best friend squeezing the life out of him. On hearing her crying, however, he carefully freed his arms and looped them around her waist, holding onto her with equal fervour. What Bea didn't see was the tears appearing in his youthful eyes, blissfully unaware that her lifeless form was all that occupied his mind.</p><p>---------------------------------------------------------</p><p>"What's the date? The <em>exact </em>date." Five said coolly as he moved about the kitchen. The family had migrated there after the boy's miraculous appearance, following him as he expressed his hunger. After their little reunion, Bea hadn't known what to do with herself. She felt incredibly drained after the events of the day, and Five's appearance made her feel as if she might lose her mind completely. She had stuck close to him as they all walked, and sat herself on a chair next to where he stood at the end of the kitchen table.</p><p>She wanted to reply to his question, but words escaped her. Luckily, Vanya answered in her place. "The 24th."</p><p>"Of what?"</p><p>"March."</p><p>Five sighed. "Good." He looked down at the table, starting to prepare a sandwich.</p><p>The other six members of the family stared at him, some in disbelief of his being there and others of his apparent aloofness to the situation. Luther seemed to feel the latter, growing frustrated at his brother's silence. "So, are we gonna talk about what just happened?" Five ignored him, continuing to prepare his meal. This only frustrated Luther more; he stood, voicing his annoyance. "It's been seventeen years!"</p><p>Five paused in his actions, turning to look up at Luther, who towered above him. He scoffed. "It's been a lot longer than <em>that</em>." After he said this, he spatial jumped through his brother to collect something from a kitchen shelf.</p><p>"I haven't missed that," Luther muttered.</p><p>"Where'd you go?" Diego asked. Bea's ears perked up at this; that was all she wanted to know. She was frustrated at herself that she hadn't been able to speak, but she was glad that someone was asking the right questions.</p><p>"The future," Five stated, nonchalantly. "It's shit, by the way."</p><p>"Called it." Klaus joked, raising his hand. Bea glanced over at him briefly, giving him a look that said, <em>not now. </em>Klaus piped down, lowering his hand and instead leaning his chin on it.</p><p>"I should've listened to the old man," continued Five. "You know, jumping through space is one thing; jumping through time is a toss of the dice." He looked up, focusing in on Klaus' state of dress. "Nice dress."</p><p>"Oh, well, danke!" Klaus said, twirling around the end of the fabric with his hand.</p><p>Vanya, seemingly tired of waiting for more answers, asked her own question, trying to get the conversation back on track. "Wait, how did you get back?"</p><p>"In the end, I had to project my consciousness forward into a suspended quantum state version of myself that exists across every possible instance of time."</p><p>Diego creased his brow, staring at the floor. "That makes no sense."</p><p>Without looking up at him, Five said, "Well, it would if you were smarter."</p><p>Not one for having his intelligence insulted, Diego stood to his feet in an aggressive manner. As he did so, Luther threw his arm out to the side, halting his brother in his movements. Five noticed this, yet he didn't pay much attention to it. What he did fixate on was the girl to his left, who had also stood up from her chair with fists clenched. Her glare alone could have killed him stone dead. "It's okay," Five reassured her. She broke her gaze and turned to look directly into his eyes, orange meeting green, giving him a slight nod as she lowered herself back into her chair.</p><p>"How long were you there for?" Luther asked, not ignorant to the exchange that he just witnessed across the table.</p><p>"Forty-five years. Give or take."</p><p>The family stared, jaws dropping. "So what are you saying? That you're...fifty-eight?" Luther calculated.</p><p>"No," Five smirked, "my <em>consciousness </em>is fifty-eight. Apparently, my body is now thirteen again."</p><p>Vanya closed her eyes, trying to understand what she had just been told. "Wait, how does that even work?"</p><p>Picking up his sandwich and walking away from the table, Five ignored her question. "Delores kept saying the equations were off." He chuckled, taking a bite of his food. "Eh. Bet she's laughing now."</p><p>"Delores?" Vanya questioned.</p><p>Once again ignoring his sister, Five returned to the table and picked up the newspaper next to him, studying the headline. "Hmm. Guess I missed the funeral."</p><p>"How did you know about that?" Luther asked.</p><p>"What part of 'the future' do you not understand?" Five questioned back. "Heart failure, huh?"</p><p>"Yeah." Diego muttered.</p><p>Almost simultaneously, Luther muttered, "No."</p><p>Bea rolled her eyes. Why must Luther be so insistent that it was murder?</p><p>Clicking his tongue and moving to leave the room, Five stated, "Nice to see nothing's changed."</p><p>As he did so, Allison turned around in amazement of his blasé attitude. "Uh, that's it? That's all you have to say?"</p><p>Without turning around, Five said his final comment before exiting the kitchen. "What else is there to say? The circle of life."</p><p>"Well," started Luther, "That was interesting."</p><p>As the family moved to leave the kitchen, Bea stayed where she sat, still in shock. Climbing down from off of the table, Klaus placed his hand delicately on her shoulder. "Are you okay?" he asked.</p><p>"I don't know," she said, simply, not turning to look at him.</p><p>"Hey, hey. It's alright!"</p><p>Standing up suddenly, Bea ran her hands through her hair harshly and stalked away from Klaus. "No, it's not! I don't know what's happening; I don't know how to deal with this!" Turning back towards the tall man, she threw her hands out to the side. "Five is just...<em>back! </em>And I couldn't say a word to him. I have been hoping for this day for seventeen years and it's finally here and I just-" She took a deep breath and sighed heavily. "Froze. I want to talk to him but it's like the words just won't come out." As tears once again threatened to fall, Klaus quickly covered the space between them, holding her tightly in his arms.</p><p>"Please don't cry. Look," he pulled away slightly, leaning down to look her in the eyes. "Maybe it's because the room was filled with all of us! You just need some one-on-one time. Why don't you go and speak to Five on your own?"</p><p>Bea nodded, wiping her eyes. "Maybe you're right. Where do you think he went?"</p><p>"Probably to his room," Klaus said thoughtfully. "He looked like he might need a change of clothes."</p><p>"Okay." She smiled, only slightly. "I'll see if I can talk to him on my own."</p><p>"Atta girl," Klaus said proudly, kissing the side of her head.</p><p>As she left the room to find her littlest brother (literally), Bea couldn't help but revel in the feeling of Klaus' lips on her skin.</p><p>---------------------------------------------------</p><p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. f i v e</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The adrenaline that had been pumping through her veins from the last hour's events was finally starting to wear off. Bea's energy level was still high enough to go through with her plan of speaking to Five one-on-one; that she really needed to do. However, the lack of the natural high meant that all of her pain receptors were once again working at full capacity. Bea had acknowledged the glass shard that had sliced through her cheek, and she had felt its bitter bite at the time. Up until this point, though, she had successfully ignored it, what with the blue abnormality appearing in the courtyard of her old home and her time-travelling brother's recent leap into the limelight.</p><p>Now, however, she couldn't help but recognise the searing pain across the right side of her face. Luckily, the glass hadn't cut too deeply, so there wasn't a tidal wave of blood caressing her cheek. It was just deep enough to sting; like a paper cut only thicker.</p><p>As she made her way through the Academy towards Five's old bedroom, Bea moved her hand towards her injury, prodding it gently with the pad of her index finger. "Ouch," she hissed. She quickly decided that maybe touching it wasn't the best idea. She'd look at it, and most likely ask Grace to patch her up, later.</p><p>She continued her walk quickly and with her head down, not wanting to accidentally run into any of the others, let alone make eye contact. Before she knew it, she was in front of Five's door. Taking a deep breath, Bea gave herself a much-needed pep talk. <em>You can do this</em>, she thought; <em>he's your brother for Christ's sake! </em>Shakily, she lifted her closed fist up to the surface of the wood and knocked three times in quick succession.</p><p>"Yes?" Came the reply from within, the voice laced with what sounded to Bea like boredom and frustration.</p><p>Taking his answer as a cue to enter, Bea pushed the door open, raking her eyes smoothly over his room. Much the same as hers, it was like a shrine, kept in perfect and pristine condition by Grace. This slightly perturbed Bea; an uneasy feeling washed over her as she saw not only thirteen-year-old Five's bedroom but a thirteen-year-old Five himself. It was as if she had been transported to the past, back to a happier time.</p><p>Not willing to wait in silence any longer, Five spoke up. "You're not very talkative today, are you?" he questioned, closing the doors to his wardrobe. "Or maybe that's just who you've become over the years. A mute." He shrugged nonchalantly, only just focusing his gaze onto his guest. "I guess I wouldn't really know."</p><p>Bea drew her eyes back to him, taking a few steps further into the room. "I'm not a mute," she stated, confidence miraculously returning to her.</p><p>"Ah - she speaks!" A mischievous smirk donned the boy's face as he turned his full body towards her, crossing his arms in the process and relaxing his weight onto one leg.</p><p>Smirking back, Bea rolled her eyes. "Shut up," she mumbled. "I wanted to talk to you, Five."</p><p>Five raised an inquisitive brow. "About what?"</p><p>"What do you think? About...<em>this." </em>Bea used both of her arms to gesture at him, implying with her movements that she wished to speak about his return.</p><p>It was clear from Five's expression that he knew exactly what his sister was talking about; however, he had missed her immensely and couldn't resist taking a moment to test the boundaries of their sibling relationship. He too wanted to have a serious discussion - of course he did. But first...he'd annoy her a little.</p><p>"Embarrassing, isn't it?" he sighed.</p><p>"W-what?"</p><p>"A fifty-eight year old man looking and dressing like a teenage boy. I had a moustache, you know."</p><p>Bea's face was the picture of bewilderment. "Okay? Five, I really-"</p><p>"And a whole wardrobe of suits. Designer, they were, and much better than anything the old man ever wore. Now? A <em>school uniform</em>."</p><p>"FIVE."</p><p>He stopped. <em>Well, that was quick</em>, he thought. He certainly hadn't imagined she would reach her limit that quickly. "Your face is bleeding; did you know that?"</p><p>Subconsciously, Bea brought her hand up to her face once again. "No."</p><p>"Sit on the bed," Five ordered, heading towards the door. "I'll be right back."</p><p>Bea didn't question her brother, instead just doing as he asked. He had always been an authoritative child - always acted older that he was. If he was to be believed, (and Bea always did believe him), then now he literally was older than he appeared.</p><p>Five returned to the room a few minutes later with a wet flannel. As he handed it to her, he instructed, "Hold that to your face. It's just cold water but it'll help. <em>Trust me.</em>" The last part seemed like an after-thought, and it left the woman to question just how many injuries Five had sustained over the years.</p><p>"Thank you," she replied, softly. As he was about to speak again, she cut him off. "It is embarrassing, you know." She smiled, laughter filling her eyes. "You look ridiculous."</p><p>He chuckled. "Thanks," he replied, sarcasm coating the word.</p><p>"Hey, you brought this on yourself, not me!"</p><p>They shared one more laugh together, a bit more relaxed this time, and Five seated himself next to his sister on the bed. "It's good to see you doing so well, Bea."</p><p>"Well?" She scoffed. "I am the antithesis of 'doing well'. My life is a mess, Five. A damn mess."</p><p>He raised a brow, his smile dropping. "How so?"</p><p>"I have spent the best part of my adult life struggling to find a place to live, or a job, or <em>friends</em>. I don't speak to my family anymore - except for today. And I haven't picked up a paintbrush in over a year. I'm not...who I wanted to be by the time I was thirty. Or who I ever thought I would be at all." She paused. "What made you think I'm doing well?"</p><p>At this moment in time, Bea would have no idea of the memories that floated through her brother's head. She wouldn't have to envision a version of herself that was unmoving; her blank stare lacklustre and missing the spark of life. She wouldn't have to see a terrified Five, either, as he cradled her motionless form, rocking back and forth and crying.</p><p>If Five was good at anything, it was hiding what was really going on behind his sea-green eyes. "You look healthy," he commented. He wasn't lying. To him, she was healthy because 'healthy' meant 'alive'.</p><p>"Is that your way of saying I look fat?"</p><p>"Don't be an idiot. You just told me that your life went to shit and yet you still look good. So, learn to take a compliment."</p><p>"Sorry. I guess I'm little rusty in that department."</p><p>"How did your life end up like that?" Five asked, curiosity getting the better of him.</p><p>"Like what - terrible?"</p><p>He nodded.</p><p>"When I was seventeen, I left the Academy. It was only meant to be for a week; two tops." She sighed. "It ended up being three months.</p><p>Five whistled. "Damn."</p><p>"Yeah. Anyway, by the time I came back everyone had already moved on. Well," she rolled her eyes, "everyone except daddy's beloved Number One."</p><p>"Let me guess, Luther kicked you out?"</p><p>Bea looked at her brother for a moment before answering him. "Got it in one. Back then I was still kind of...unstable. For multiple reasons that I'm not gonna get into now. Point is: I couldn't fight him back on it. I ended up having no money and no earthly possessions except for the clothes on my back."</p><p>"That explains the pure hatred that radiated off of you in the kitchen just now, " Five stated.</p><p>"Oh God; was I subconsciously glaring at him?" Bea asked, leaning her head in one hand as she continued to face Five.</p><p>He chuckled. "No, but I'll look out for that later."</p><p>"It doesn't matter anymore. I've got an apartment and a job and hopefully now my family back so...let's try to keep things as positive as we can, yeah?"</p><p>Five's face contorted slightly. Knowing what he knew, he could never promise to keep everything positive. But he played along. "Agreed. You know," he started, looking down towards his clasped hands. "I'm not the type to be sappy but I really missed you, Bea."</p><p>As Five looked back at his sister's face, he was admittedly taken aback by the suspicious smile that resided there. "Wait, why are you smiling at me like...Bea-!"</p><p>She didn't allow him to finish his thought as she grabbed him into a hug. She held him tightly; yet this was a different hug to the one that they had previously shared in the courtyard. There were no tears shed this time, only laughs as Five wriggled about, struggling to free himself from Bea's hold.</p><p>"Aw, I missed you too, Five! Don't fight it; I'm so much stronger than you now so there's no freeing yourself from my love and affection this time!"</p><p>"Phoebe-!"</p><p>"Oh, I've got seventeen years of love built up inside - you'd better get used to this, little bro!"</p><p>"Get off of me!"</p><p>----------------------------------</p><p>Speaking to Five by herself had most certainly raised Bea's spirits. In fact, she was feeling happier than she had felt in years. The combination of getting her family back, especially her two favourite boys, airing out her frustrations with Luther and telling <em>someone </em>about how Luther had ultimately destroyed her early adult life had allowed a huge weight to be lifted off her over-encumbered shoulders.</p><p>A few hours had passed and it was now time for the event that she dreaded the most: Reginald's funeral. The family had gathered outside, umbrellas at the ready, to face the weather and bid farewell to their late father. The atmosphere was solemn; the rain a captivating pathetic fallacy. Though she felt mournful herself, Bea couldn't help but feel in complete comfort standing out in the downpour. The harmonious sound of the rain hitting her umbrella soothed her, and being surrounded by so much water orchestrated a pleasant tingle that reverberated around her entire body. It was part of her ability - water in any form called out to her. Rain was always her favourite, due to its natural spontaneity and the indescribable effect it had on her.</p><p>Bea looked around at the others. Still dressed in black, each member of the family carried an equally dark umbrella, perfectly befitting the situation at hand. In every family, however, there are exceptions. Klaus, who was standing to her left, carried a clear umbrella, clearly too small for him. <em>Trust Klaus to want to stand out. </em>Luther and Diego, on the other hand, had decided that they didn't need protection from the deluge. As much as Bea wanted to pin Luther's decision on pride, she did notice that he was carrying the urn filled with the late Sir Hargreeve's ashes, making it difficult for him to have carried one in the first place. Diego's decision, however, she could pin on pride. Number One and Number Two had always tried to best each other and it made sense that Diego would try to show how he was 'stronger than the elements', just like his brother.</p><p>"Whenever you're ready, dear boy." Bea looked across the way, noticing that her old friend Pogo had joined them. With Grace already there, the funeral could finally begin.</p><p>Luther took the old chimp's words as his cue to scatter the ashes. Taking a few steps forward, he removed the lid and gently tipped the urn over. Unfortunately, because of the rain, their father's remains plummeted straight onto the soaked leaves below, creating an unattractive glob of grey. The silence was palpable; Bea could hear Klaus sucking air through his teeth next to her. "Probably would have been better with some wind."</p><p>"I'll say," Bea commented, quietly.</p><p>Looking around at the group, Pogo continued the service. "Does anyone wish to speak?" Silence. "Very well." He took a deep breath. "In all regards, Sir Reginald Hargreeves made me what I am today. For that alone, I shall forever be in his debt. He was my master and my friend, and I shall miss him very much. He leave behind a...complicated legacy-"</p><p>"He was a monster."</p><p>Bea heard Klaus laugh as she looked up in shock at Diego. <em>A monster? </em>Was he a monster? Bea had always tried to sugar coat Reginald as 'the man that saved her life'; and he did. Yet there were some pretty terrible acts of 'training' coordinated by the man. Once, when Bea was fifteen, Reginald locked her in the Academy's pool, the water too deep to gain footing underneath her and the sides built up high so she would never be able to climb out. <em>'You must learn to free yourself, Number Eight!' </em>he had bellowed, leaving her there in the darkness. In her state of panic, she couldn't think straight; she had almost drowned several times. Only after a period of almost twenty-two hours had she calmed down enough to manipulate the water and float herself up to the edge. Maybe Diego was right.</p><p>"He was a bad person and a worse father. The world's better off without him."</p><p>"Diego!" Allison chided.</p><p>"My name," Diego continued, sharply, "is Number Two. You know why? Because our father couldn't be bothered to give us actual names. He had Mom do it. Hell, Phoebe even came here with a name and he still refused to use it. She became 'Number Eight'!" For a moment, all eyes were on Bea. This was attention that she didn't need, so she cast her eyes to the ground.</p><p>Noticing the tensions rising, Grace attempted to defuse the situation in the only way she knew how: by being a mother. "Would anyone like something to eat?"</p><p>"No, it's okay, Mom." Vanya reassured her.</p><p>"Oh, okay."</p><p>"Look, you wanna pay your respects?" Diego continued, voice growing louder as he walked into the centre of the group, his back to Luther. "Go ahead. But at least be honest about the kind of man he was."</p><p>"You should stop talking now."</p><p>On hearing Luther's words, Diego turned towards him, eyes narrowed. "You know, you of all people should be on my side here, Number One."</p><p>"I am warning you." Noticing Luther's indignant reaction to being called by his number, Bea smiled sadistically, raising her eyes from the floor. <em>I hope your own medicine tastes bitter after all these years, Luther.</em></p><p>"After everything he did to you? He had to ship you a million miles away."</p><p>"Diego, stop talking-"</p><p>If tensions were thick before, only a diamond plated saw could cut through them now.</p><p>"That's how much he couldn't <em>stand </em>the sight of you!" As Diego jabbed his finger into Luther's chest, the larger of the two finally lost it, swinging a punch at his brother.</p><p>The fight began evenly matched, with each player swinging fists and dodging the other's attacks. Everyone else took a few steps back, keeping well away from the action. Allison rolled her eyes, Pogo shouted out in frustration at the childish behaviour and Klaus threw his arm out to protect Five. Interestingly enough, Bea had done the same to him, thinking that if Klaus were to get wrapped up in this he could end up severely injured due to his intoxicated state. As Five slapped his brother's arm away, (not needing any protection), Klaus glanced down at Bea's arm and offered her a surprised, yet appreciative smile.</p><p>Over the next minute, the fighting escalated in intensity, along with Bea's disappointment in the two. Luther she could understand this kind of behaviour from, but Diego? His childish rivalry had finally gone too far. Whilst she was having these thoughts, it seemed that Five had shared something similar. Turning back towards the Academy, he shook his head. "We don't have time for this," he muttered, heading inside.</p><p>"Come here, big boy!" Diego continued to taunt Luther, leading to the latter gearing up for a big swing. At the last second, the former ducked to the right and out of the path of danger. Sadly, Ben's statue was not as wise. It cascaded to the ground under the force of Luther's fist, smacking hard into the ground below. As it did so, the head was separated completely from the body.</p><p>Bea gasped audibly and covered her mouth with her free hand; at the same time, Klaus groaned.</p><p>"And there goes Ben's statue." Allison said in discontent as she turned to head back inside and away from the drama.</p><p>Suddenly, Diego reached into a pocket strapped to his thigh and pulled out a knife. His position in front of Bea obstructed her view of the action, and only by hearing Vanya cry out did she realise that the fight wasn't yet over. If she had blinked she would have missed the knife as it flew towards Luther, slicing through the jacket sleeve of his left arm. After a beat, she folded her umbrella down and marched forward, shoving Diego harshly from behind with both hands.</p><p>"Haven't you embarrassed yourself enough already?" She seethed. As much as she wasn't upset by the knife hitting Luther, she was upset that it was Diego who had attacked his brother with a lethal weapon. Leaving the umbrella where it lay, she didn't wait for a response before she marched inside the Academy and slammed the door behind her. In doing so, she was lucky enough to miss Diego's comment to Vanya about her book; a comment that if she had heard would have only angered her further.</p><p>--------------------------------------------------</p><p> </p>
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<a name="section0006"><h2>6. s i x</h2></a>
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    <p>
  <em>Seven children waited at the bottom of the staircase. Tensions were high. The anticipation of the race was palpable. Dressed in green and white tracksuits, the children waited for that all-important signal – a whistle – before they were allowed to begin their training exercise. Their heartbeats could be heard pumping outside of their chests, nervous excitement took over and some, not all, sweated lightly.</em>
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  <em>One of the young children's hearts beat the loudest. The young redheaded girl stood in the centre of the group. She didn't talk. She didn't laugh along with her siblings. She concentrated; this would be the day she would finally gain Sir Hargreeves' full approval. She would do her best to win.</em>
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  <em>A sharp whistle sound rang in her ears as she took off up the stairs. Luther gained an early lead as he pushed ahead, before being overtaken by Diego. Not yet disheartened, the girl pushed onwards, overtaking Luther; overtaking Diego. She could win this.</em>
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  <em>Suddenly, as if out of nowhere, Five appeared in front of her. "That's not fair, Five's cheating!" Diego cried out.</em>
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  <em>"He adapted!" The girl heard her mentor correct her brother from the top of the staircase.</em>
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  <em>There were only two more flights of stairs left. She was gaining on Five, so very close to passing him and claiming the victory.</em>
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  <em>Then it all went wrong.</em>
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  <em>As she grabbed the railing to propel herself around the corner, she slipped, almost as if someone had coated the rail in a liquid substance. As her hand left the object, she careened downwards, banging her face and legs on the quick-approaching steps. She cried out in pain, but her siblings had already passed her. Dragging herself to her feet, she ignored the pain, ignored the blood seeping down from her hairline, and hurried after the others. Unfortunately, she finished dead last.</em>
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  <em>"NUMBER EIGHT," the oldest Hargreeves shouted. "This type of mistake is unacceptable!"</em>
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  <em>"I'm sorry, I-I don't know what happened!"</em>
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  <em>"I'll tell you what happened," he sneered. "What happened is that you don't have control over your powers. If you let them control you then you will never be a public member of the Umbrella Academy; do you hear me?"</em>
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  <em>Staring at the ground, she withered under his piercing gaze. "I understand."</em>
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  <em>"All of you, to your rooms at once!"</em>
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  <em>As the children made their way to their individual rooms, the girl was shoved from behind. "Good one, Clammy Hands. You really know how to make yourself look like an idiot!"</em>
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  <em>"Luther! Don't be so cruel."</em>
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  <em>"Sorry, Allison, but it's true." Laughing, he continued onwards, dragging Allison away with him.</em>
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  <em>The victim of his taunts looked down at her hands. They were still wet; it was the one part of her abilities that she hadn't yet mastered. She could draw out water from the air, condensing it in her palms and fingertips. As useful as this could be, her body still performed the action involuntarily sometimes, as it did today. As she stared, her cheeks too became wet; not from the atmosphere but from the tears that cascaded from her orange eyes.</em>
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</p><p>As she changed out of the wet clothes she was currently wearing, Bea couldn't help but gaze at her left arm. The umbrella symbol tattooed onto her skin was a permanent reminder of not only who she was, but also <em>what </em>she was. She was different. In a way, she was always the most unusual of all the children. If none of them were to use their powers, they could pass as 'normal'. But Bea...her eyes told a different story.</p><p>She finished changing and stared into the mirror, studying her eyes as she had done many times before. They were as orange as a sunset, a deep amber hue too unnatural looking to be passed over as anything else. In her adult years, she grew frustrated at the questions people would ask about them. To those who no longer recognised her from the long-ended Umbrella Academy, she would simply laugh their questions away, claiming them to be coloured contact lenses. Her lie sufficed.</p><p>She had always loved the colour; it made her feel dangerous and beautiful. She did wonder, however, why they were so unique. <em>If anything, </em>she thought, <em>they should be blue, to compliment my abilities. </em>'Such questions', Reginald would say, 'may never be answered.'</p><p> </p><p>Her thoughts were broken when she heard uneven footsteps outside her bedroom door. Poking her head out, she noticed Klaus walking, well <em>skipping</em>, past. "Klaus?" she called out. "Where are you going?"</p><p>"Oh!" he paused, exaggeratedly swinging around to face her. "I don't know, just thought I'd wander around the house. It's been a while since I've been here after all! Wanna come?"</p><p>"Sure." Making her way towards Klaus, Bea made sure to shut her door behind her. She'd rather not have anyone noticing the state she had currently left it in, nor have the opportunity to snoop through her things.</p><p>The two walked for a while, silently reminiscing about the lives they used to lead when they were all together. They'd make infrequent comments when they noticed some object in particular, or if a specific memory crept to the surface. Bea looped her arm though Klaus', taking comfort once again in his presence. She didn't know what they were; she couldn't put a label on it yet. She still had feelings for him – she would have jumped right into his arms there and then if he had asked her. What she wasn't sure of was whether he felt the same about her. They had been in a relationship as 'boyfriend and girlfriend' for just under two years, before she had left to complete her task. Bea would even go as far as to say that she loved the man, though neither of them had said that to each other at the time. Technically, their relationship had never actually ended. When Bea had returned on their eighteenth birthday, she had fully expected to spend the day back in his arms. Fate, nicknamed 'Luther', obviously had a different idea. Now, after being separated for ten years, Bea could only hope that he saw her in the same way that he used to.</p><p>Eventually, the two of them ended up in the kitchen, or 'bunker room' as Bea liked to call it. Slumping herself down into one of the sofas, Bea sighed. "How and why did this room ever become the kitchen? It's so depressing."</p><p>"What did you expect? This whole place is depressing. And <em>drab</em>," Klaus replied, slipping his shoes off and placing them on the table.</p><p>"It's hardly 'drab' – the interior design is actually quite beautiful." She frowned at him. "And can you please take your dirty shoes off the table? It's disgusting."</p><p>"They're clean, I promise!" Bea rolled her eyes. "Do you really think this place is beautiful? I always thought Dad's taste in décor was...gaudy." As he spoke, Klaus picked up an old electric guitar and strummed it softly.</p><p>Bea chuckled. "Oh, I never said anything about Reggie's décor - it's not to my taste at all. I just meant the architecture."</p><p>Sitting down at the head of the table, Klaus threw his feet up onto the table's surface. "Architecture, shmarchitecture."</p><p>"Are you serious with this?" Bea asked, gesturing to his feet from where she was sitting. "Who raised you, pigs?"</p><p>Before the man could retort, another voice joined the chorus. "What are you two bickering about now?" Five said, heading over to the kitchen cabinets.</p><p>"Excuse me, Five," Bea started, "but I do not 'bicker'. That term is reserved purely for old ladies."</p><p>"Well..."</p><p>"Say it – I dare you, grandpa."</p><p>Her words were merely met with an eye roll as Five continued to dig around, frantically searching for something. Bea didn't bother asking him what he was looking for, knowing that he'd either not tell her or give out a sarcastic response. Currently, she was in the mood for neither. Instead, she got up from the sofa and sat at the table to Klaus' left, so that she could watch her brother and perhaps decipher for herself.</p><p>After a minute or so, the clacking of heels could be heard approaching the room. Allison appeared through the doorway, enquiring about their sister. "Where's Vanya?" she asked.</p><p>"Oh, she's gone," Klaus answered. Both he and Bea had seen Vanya leave in a taxi as they had made their way around the Academy. Bea was sad that her friend hadn't stayed longer, but she also couldn't blame her for wanting to escape, what with her history.</p><p>"That's unfortunate," Five suddenly commented.</p><p>Allison, mistakenly presuming that Five was a part of their conversation about Vanya, agreed with him. "Yeah."</p><p>"Forty-two bedrooms, nineteen bathrooms, but no, not a single drop of coffee." Five growled, placing a glass cafetiere on the table harsher than he should have.</p><p>"So that's what you were searching for..." Bea mumbled.</p><p>Allison frowned. "Dad hated caffeine."</p><p>"Well," Klaus laughed, "he hated children too and he had plenty of us!"</p><p>"Wait, did you look through all the rooms in the Academy, Five?" Bea questioned hesitantly.</p><p>"Yes," came his blunt reply.</p><p>She leaned forward across the table a little more, resting on her folded arms. "Did you go through my room?" she asked, a dangerous edge lacing her tone.</p><p>"Don't worry, I put everything back."</p><p>"You don't ever go through my stuff again, you got that?" She smiled, calmly, but Five could see the threat hiding behind her pearly white teeth.</p><p>"Whatever." He looked away. "I'm taking the car."</p><p>"W-where are you going?" Klaus asked, taking his feet off the table as he sat up, placing the guitar to one side.</p><p>Five glared. "To get a decent cup of coffee."</p><p>"Do you even know how to drive?" Allison asked sceptically.</p><p>"I know how to do everything," Five remarked, before spatial jumping out of the room.</p><p>Klaus stood up, walking into the space where his brother just was. "I feel like we should try and stop him, but then again, I also just kinda want to see what happens."</p><p>Almost immediately, the three adults heard the unmistakable sound of a car engine roaring to life. Bea stood up, glancing between the other two in the room. "I think I'm gonna follow him."</p><p>"How?" Allison asked, "We have no idea where he went."</p><p>Bea smirked slightly. "Don't we?" she questioned, knowingly. She knew exactly where her brother had gone; it had only taken her a few seconds to work it out. She paused, waiting for her family to catch up and deduce his location for themselves. </p><p>Unfortunately, her knowing tone was met with silence. Her smile faltered. "Come on, do you seriously mean to tell me that you have no idea at all where he might be heading?"</p><p>Klaus simply shook his head as Allison replied, "Well, I don't."</p><p>Shaking her head and sighing in disbelief, Bea accepted her Sherlock moment. "Okay. Five wants a <em>decent </em>cup of coffee, right?" The others nodded, waiting for her to continue. "He was searching frantically, which means he's desperate. He has a car but he's not going to travel very far because of the desperation. Are you following?"</p><p>"I think so," Klaus said.</p><p>"There are quite a few places nearby that serve coffee, but most of them taste like garbage so he won't go to those. Plus," she raised a finger in the air, "he's just come back from the future so he may want to go somewhere that means something to him; somewhere nostalgic. Where is nearby, serves good coffee <em>and </em>holds some sentimental value to Five?"</p><p>Silence.</p><p>"You guys are hopeless," Bea muttered. "<em>Griddy's!" </em>Her revelation was met with a chorus of 'oh's'. "I'll see you guys later. If you need me you know where I'll be...if you can remember." </p><p>Throwing a wink over her shoulder, Bea left the room and headed straight outside towards her beloved motorbike. She liked to think that she got it to make herself seem like a badass, but the reality was that it was much easier to steal a motorbike than it was to steal a car. Bea had got her hands on the bike in her early twenties; she was still out of work at the time and was sick of walking or hiding from guards on public transport. She needed her own vehicle, and because she couldn't afford to buy one for herself, she had to let her morals go and <em>acquire </em>one by other means. </p><p>It was a street bike, perfect for the quick getaway that was needed when she took it in the first place. Over the years of owning it, Bea had changed its appearance. When she first acquired it, the motorbike had been a shocking green colour - not ideal for hiding in plain sight. It was now black as the night, with a subtle gold trim highlighting the exposed metal of the wheels. She loved it. It gave her the freedom to move around as she pleased; not to mention she rarely got stuck in traffic.</p><p>Hopping onto the bike, Bea strapped on her helmet and revved the engine, starting her short journey to Griddy's Doughnuts. There was no doubt in her mind that that's where her brother would be. </p><p>
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<a name="section0007"><h2>7. s e v e n</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Pulling up outside Griddy's Doughnuts, Bea parked her motorbike on the curb opposite, right next to Five's car. She beamed as she removed her helmet, ecstatic to know that she was correct in her assumption of her brother's whereabouts. Bea couldn't help but feel a little pool of pride swell up inside of her; it may have been seventeen years since she had last seen him but her connection to him had obviously never been severed.</p><p>Seeing the old café again made strong memories resurface at the forefront of her mind. It felt like just yesterday that she and the others were sneaking out to stuff their faces with baked goods. Bea and Klaus would often go there for their 'date nights', on the one day of the week that Reginald would allow the children free time for an hour or so. Granted, it wasn't a substantial amount of time, but it was enough to creep out of the Academy undetected, hand in hand, and share a milkshake. Just to feel <em>freedo</em>m like that again was all Bea could ever wish for.</p><p>Leaving the helmet on the seat of her ride, she shook herself free of the creeping memories, remembering why she came out in the first place. Pushing the hood of her jacket up to protect herself from the drizzle, she made her way towards the café, noticing as she did how empty it was.<em> Unsurprising for this time of night,</em> she thought.</p><p>As she entered the building, she just caught the end of a conversation that Five was having with another customer, who had also taken a seat at the counter. "I used to come here as he kid," he started. "Used to sneak out with my brothers and sisters and eat doughnuts 'til we puked. Simpler times, huh?"</p><p>"I'll say," Bea interrupted, a lopsided smirk working its way onto her pretty face. How interesting it was that the café had dug up the same memory for Five as it had for her.</p><p>On hearing another voice, the three other people in the building turned towards the source, catching the eye of the mysterious hooded woman in the doorway. The one behind the counter, clearly the waitress, smiled - albeit nervously. "Can I get you anything, sweetie?"</p><p>Walking towards them, Bea sat down to Five's right. Removing her hood slowly, she smiled sweetly. "I'll have a coffee, please. Milk, two sugars."</p><p>"Coming right up!" After the waitress, (whose name, Bea saw, was Agnes), had placed the previous orders in front of her customers, she turned around to make the woman's drink.</p><p>Sipping slowly on his coffee, Five turned towards his sister with a frown on his face. "Any particular reason that you followed me here?" he asked, suspicion leaking into his words.</p><p>Adopting an innocent look, the woman looked over at him and pursed her lips slightly. "Followed you? Who said I followed you? I just wanted a<em> decent cup of coffee.</em>" She smirked internally, knowing that her use of Five's previously spoken words would agitate him. Breaking free of her somewhat enigmatic character, Bea regained her typical composure. "Anyway," she said, leaning against her folded arms as she placed them on the surface in front of her, "I thought you'd be happy to see your favourite sister."</p><p>Five outwardly ignored her final comment, continuing his scrutinising gaze. Internally, he had acknowledged her words and agreed with them; he <em>was</em> happy that she was there. Bea had a certain aura about her, whether it was a part of her abilities or not Five regretfully couldn't say. It always gave him comfort when she was nearby: a warm, fuzzy feeling of bliss. Klaus had once expressed that he felt the same thing, but his crush on the girl was so overpoweringly strong that Five never fully trusted the feeling's origin.</p><p>Since being back with his sister and spending more time around her, Five had noticed the aura's return. It delighted him in more ways than one; the most important way was the overwhelming sense of relief her presence brought him. He would never be able to fully scrape away the memory of the sensation that ricocheted around his thirteen-year-old body all those years ago. As he held her limp form in his arms, he had suffered through a catastrophic sense of loss. No longer was the feeling warm but entirely arctic; as if Death himself had manifested before him. It had chilled Five to the bone and haunted him for forty-five years.</p><p>Wanting to save face, Five kept his internal feelings at bay, instead focusing on investigating how in the world his sister had found him. "How did you know where I'd be?" he queried, sighing and taking another gulp of his beverage, revelling in its high caffeine content.</p><p>In response to his question, Bea tapped a manicured finger to her temple. "I know you, Five; I worked it out. You're not as difficult to read as you think you are."</p><p>Their exchange was cut short as Agnes brought Bea's finished drink order over to her, placing it gently on the counter with a smile. Bea quickly reached into her pocket, with full intent to grab some cash and pay for her and her brother's drinks. Before she could hand over the money, however, the man to their left stopped her, gesturing at her with the wave of a hand to put her purse away. "I got theirs," he said to Agnes, handing over a note to the waitress.</p><p>"Thanks," the two siblings said in unison. Bea brought the white mug to her lips, sighing with satisfaction as she took a sip. "Now that is a good cup of coffee," she said.</p><p>"It's hardly 'coffee' anymore with all the shit you put in it," Five ground out, a look of disgust adorning his youthful face.</p><p>"Well, I like it," Bea replied, childishly.</p><p>Turning away from his sister with a roll of his eyes, Five snuck a glance at the uniform of their generous benefactor. His eyes lingered on the embroidered company logo,</p><p><em>Ishamael's Towing</em> -<em> 24 HOUR SERVICE.</em></p><p>"You must know your way around the city," Five commented monotonously.</p><p>The older man looked up, confusion filling his eyes for a moment as they flickered between the strange boy and the wall. "I hope so," he said, shifting in his seat. "I've been driving it for twenty years."</p><p>"Good. I need an address," Five stated bluntly, not bothering to form his desire into a polite question.</p><p>Bea, being the ever-nosey person that she was, leaned forward and over her brother's shoulder. "What could you possibly need the address of?" she muttered close to his ear.</p><p>Turning sharply towards her, Five glared - harmlessly but with intent. "That's for me to know and you to keep out of."</p><p>The redhead's face contorted incredulously as she stared at him, not-so-secretly upset by his tone. Noticing this, Five's scowling expression softened. "It's not important, okay? To you, anyway. Just," he sighed, "hang on a second."</p><p>Bea leaned back, turning away from the two men and rested once again on the counter. She continued to drink her coffee, her crimson lips delicately sipping on the warm liquid as she relished in the delightful taste. Deciding that it was best not to eavesdrop on whatever matter her best friend wanted to discuss, she let her mind wander, only re-gaining conscious thought when she caught movement in the corner of her eye. Glancing over, she noticed that the tow truck driver was making his way out of the establishment.</p><p>"I'm sorry."</p><p>"For what?"</p><p>"For being nosey." Staring into her cup, her words carried a solemn note. "It's none of my business, you don't have to tell me everything. It's just...now that you're back, I worry. A lot. An unhealthy amount." Bea chuckled bitterly, chastising herself. "I'm not your mum but I'm sure acting like it." She glanced up from her cup, sunset-orange eyes meeting forest-green. "I don't mean to offend you when I say it's hard for me not to see you as how you look."</p><p>Five stared, unsure of what to say - almost tempted to lay a reassuring hand on her arm. He decided against this, with physical contact not really being his thing. She couldn't help seeing him as her thirteen-year-old brother, and he understood that. Were she to constantly treat him as a boy that age well then he would, understandably, have to say something. However, in this instance all she was doing was showing compassion; showing him that she deeply,<em> truly</em> loved him.</p><p>Five chose his next words carefully, anxiously aware that he didn't want to upset her further. "Don't worry about it. It's harder for me to see myself looking like this after the life I've lived - believe me."<em> And what a life it was.</em> "Look," he began, "I can't go into detail about things with you right now. But I promise if anything comes of this, you'll be the first to know."</p><p>Bea smiled. "That's all I can ask for."</p><p>They fell into a comfortable silence, finishing off their beverages. Neither of them turned around as the bell above the door chimed. Nor did they turn around when the sound of several pairs of heavy boots rang out through the establishment. It was only when Five spoke that Bea snuck a peak, blanching at the sight before her.</p><p>"Hmm," Five muttered, gently lowering his cup to the countertop. "That was fast." He titled his head slightly, still not turning around, and acted far more comfortable in his current predicament than Bea thought he should have. "I thought I'd have more time before they found me."</p><p><em>Who the hell are 'they'?</em> Bea thought, starting to sweat slightly as several large men clad in heavy duty armour pointed advanced artillery at them. One man in particular had taken up residence directly behind her seat, the barrel of his gun aimed squarely at the back of her head. She desperately wanted out of this situation and knew, deep down, that this could only end in bloodshed.<em> I haven't had to use my abilities in a while,</em> she thought,<em> I just hope there's enough water around here.</em></p><p>"Okay," the apparent leader of the mercenaries stated. "So let's all be professional about this, yeah?" Unmoving, he continued. "On your feet and come with us. They want to talk."</p><p>"I've got nothing to say," Five replied, his answer and demeanour typically blasé.</p><p>Bea groaned internally, cursing at her brother for goading the armed men. He was, it seemed, biding her some time to prepare for the anticipated fight that would no doubt break out in a matter of moments. She closed her eyes, grasping the opportunity whilst it was available to her. She sensed the aquatic element in the atmosphere, calling out to it in her mind. It responded in kind, alerting her to a stock of bottled water in a back room and several sinks throughout the building. <em>Perfect.</em></p><p>"It doesn't have to go this way." He shuffled his gun in his hands. "You think I want to shoot a kid? Go home with that on my conscience?"</p><p>"What about her, boss?" the man behind Bea asked, nudging her skull with his weapon.</p><p>"Oh, she'll die too. An unfortunate collateral."</p><p>Did they not realise that Five and herself were well acquainted with each other? She raised an eyebrow, subtly turning her eyes towards her brother. This could work well to their advantage.</p><p>"Well, I wouldn't worry about that," Five hummed, smugly gazing up at his assailant. "You won't be going home."</p><p>The next few seconds were a blur. Five casually reached out in front of him, wrapping his hand delicately around a butter knife that lay there. In the matter of an instant, he disappeared in a flash of blue, reappearing behind the mercenary leader and plunging the blunt instrument into his neck. As an involuntarily response to this, the man's gun went off, alerting the others to begin their assault.</p><p>Taking this distraction as an opportunity to escape, Bea turned on her seat and rose quickly, gunfire ringing in her ears. She thrust the gun of the man behind her into his own face, hearing a satisfying crunch as the force of the impact shattered his nose. Diving behind the counter, she held her hands out in front of her, summoning the water she had previously sensed. It came to her rapidly, physically bursting free from the constraints of the pipes and plastic bottles. Once it reached her, Bea had to make a split-second decision: what form the liquid should take. Knowing that the men certainly outnumbered herself and Five, and had semi-automatic weapons to boot, she settled on a nimble melee design; katanas to be specific. The water moulded elegantly in her hands, thinning out and forming two perfect swords, sharper than polished steel. She held the weapons firmly; to her they felt no different to the real thing.</p><p>The lights in the café had begun to flicker, a perfect reflection of the chaos of current events. Bea stood up from behind the counter, now perfectly protected from any flying bullets. She promptly made her way into the fray, standing by the tables behind the attackers in hopes of catching them off guard. Unfortunately, Five did not have the same idea in mind. He appeared next to her, casually reclining on top of the table. "Hey assholes!" he called before vanishing into thin air.</p><p>Bea, on the other hand, was not so lucky. She couldn't be sure if Five simply hadn't noticed her standing there or if he knew she could handle herself, but she very swiftly found herself being shot at. A lot. As the bullets rained down on her, Bea's body moved automatically, recalling her days of training back at the Academy. Though she herself was not bulletproof, her aqueous swords could be. Twirling them around in front of her, the bullets were sliced in half as they reached her, falling to the ground in a hail of metal.</p><p>Shock and disbelief adorned the faces of the mercenaries. "Yeah, that's right," Bea taunted. "There's two of us, you dicks." Gaining speed, she charged forward, piercing one of the men clear through the heart. She hacked at another, successfully severing the lower part of his left leg and he fell to the ground, howling in pain. At this point, Five had re-joined the fight, stabbing the fallen enemy with a handy pencil that he had obtained.</p><p>The two siblings took out the rest of the men quickly and efficiently, with Five officially ending the fight with the twisting snap of the final man's neck.</p><p>Surveying the scene, Bea shook her head. "<em>Collateral my ass,"</em> she spat. The weapons in her hand dissolved as quickly as they had formed, leaving a great puddle of water at her feet. Noticing the beeping gadget in her brother's hand, she moved over to him. "You wanna explain what the hell just happened? And what that is?" She gestured harshly to the object in question.</p><p>Five said nothing, instead sitting at the counter and clutching a sharp knife (taken from a mercenary) in his left hand. He proceeded to slice into his right arm, grunting at the self-inflicted pain. Bea grimaced, but before she could ask him what on earth he was thinking, he pulled a flashing mass out of his flesh.</p><p>"Let's go," he ordered, marching towards the exit.</p><p>"W-"</p><p>"Come on!"</p><p>As they exited Griddy's, Five threw the flashing pill onto the street, adjusting his tie as he headed towards his car. Bea kept her mouth shut; she'd wait until they got back to the Academy before asking anymore questions. At least, that<em> was</em> her plan.</p><p>"Get in," Five called from the rolled down window.</p><p>"What about my bike?" Bea questioned, standing next to her beloved vehicle.</p><p>"We'll come back for it," he called in response.</p><p>Her eyes flickered between her brother and her bike, turmoil and indecisiveness flooding her mind. "We can't just leave it here, it'll get stolen!"</p><p>Though the night sky was obscuring her view of him, Bea could've sworn she saw Five roll his green eyes. "It won't. Just get in the car, Bea."</p><p>With exhaustion and fatigue both threatening to take over her body, Bea complied; she positioned herself in the seat next to him, allowing him to drive. It was his car after all.</p><p>----------------------------------------------</p><p>"Spill."</p><p>It had been a good five minutes since they had left the murderous scene at Griddy's Doughnuts. The silence had been tense and full of un-asked questions, and Bea couldn't take it any longer.</p><p>"What do you want to know?" Five asked, never averting his eyes from the road ahead.</p><p>"First, you ask for an address, and I stopped asking you about it because it was none of my business. You say you'll tell me what's going on when the time came; well the time has <em>fucking</em> come, Five." She scowled at him, fed up of playing nice. She needed answers. "Who were those men?"</p><p>"Their identities are not important-"</p><p>"Not important?!" Bea cried, voice dangerously close to shouting by this point. "I just murdered a bunch of people who tried to kill us - I think I deserve to know who they were and why!"</p><p>"I got stuck."</p><p>That caught her off guard. "What?"</p><p>Five glanced at her briefly, before returning his eyes to the road. "In the future; I got stuck."</p><p>Bea sighed in frustration. "I know that, Five. Would you please get to the point?"</p><p>"I couldn't find anyone else. I slowly realised that...I was the last person left alive."</p><p>Bea blanched, her eyes widening in shock at the revelation of his words.</p><p>"Eventually," Five continued, "an organisation found me. Let's just say I was their top player. After many years, I decided that I couldn't work for them anymore, so I calculated a way to get back to here; to right now." He looked up. "And it worked, as you know."</p><p>Bea closed her eyes, rubbing her hands over her tired face. "Wait - if you were the last person alive then how did an 'organisation' find you?"</p><p>"Time travel," he answered, as if it were the obvious answer. Bea's head was full of questions to this statement, but she recognised that now was maybe not the time to vocalise them.</p><p>"What did they make you do?" she asked instead.</p><p>Five closed his eyes as they pulled up to a red light, momentarily resting his head on the steering wheel. "I can't say - please don't make me."</p><p>The redhead nodded. Her brother's tone was pained, and she knew better than to push him away even further. Raising her hands in surrender, she made him a promise. "Okay, I won't."</p><p>"Thank you." He lifted his head, continuing their drive. "Let's just say those men were agents of said organisation and they weren't happy that I left without saying goodbye."</p><p>Resting her head on her seat, Bea audibly took a breath, letting it out slowly. "What a fucking day."</p><p>"You were impressive back there."</p><p>Her head shot up as she sharply turned towards Five. "Really?"</p><p>"Yeah." He smiled genuinely. "You've really honed your skills over the years, I see. Katanas?" He nodded. "Impressive."</p><p>"Thanks." She chuckled lightly. "It was the first thing I could think of."</p><p>"You really sliced through that guy. I never knew water could be so deadly."</p><p>"It was gross and I'd rather not think about it," she grimaced. "At least I don't have to carry around dangerous and blood-covered weapons all the time like Diego." Glancing out of the window, Bea suddenly realised that she had no idea where Five was headed. It certainly wasn't towards the Academy. "Uhh, Five?"</p><p>"Yeah?"</p><p>"Where are we going?"</p><p>Looking at his sister, Five uttered out one simple word. "Vanya's."</p><p>----------------------------------------------</p><p> </p>
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<a name="section0008"><h2>8. e i g h t</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"Vanya's?"</p><p>Bea was confused. Five needed urgent medical attention for the gaping wound in his arm; if he wanted to lay low and stay away from the others she completely understood his motivation behind heading away from the Academy. What she couldn't understand, however, was why they wouldn't just go back to her apartment. Why the need to involve a third party? If under interrogation, she wouldn't be able to deny that she was a little jealous. She wanted Five to depend on <em>her</em> in their current predicament - they had just committed numerous counts of second degree murder together after all. And, truth be told, Bea was concerned about how Vanya might react to seeing the both of them sprayed from head to toe in fresh, crimson blood. She held no resentment towards the woman, of course, but jealousy was not a selective emotion.</p><p>It had been years since Bea's hand had been forced to kill. She wasn't sorry for what had gone down in the doughnut shop; in her eyes those men had deserved everything that came to them for approaching innocent civilians with loaded weapons, and destroying a perfectly good food establishment. She may have even been tempted to call it 'karma'.</p><p>"Why would we go to Vanya's?" Bea pressed. "I don't think she's exactly gonna be cool with us rocking up to her place in the middle of the night looking like," she gestured at the blood, "<em>this</em>."</p><p>"She'll have no choice."</p><p>Exasperated, the redhead let out a frustrated sound. "Five, why do we need to involve her?" She stared at her brother intently. "And tell me the truth."</p><p>Pulling up outside a block of apartments, Five stopped the car, switching off the engine and facing his sister. "Because," he began, "she's the only pers-, <em>other</em> person I can trust with the truth."</p><p>Bea didn't miss his momentary mistake. Although he'd attempted to cover it, which perhaps someone else may have paid no attention too, Bea did notice - and it hurt. Bea liked Vanya and she knew that she and her brother had been friends as children. What she didn't anticipate, however, was for Five to throw that relationship in her face; especially after what they had just been through. Deciding that she couldn't let the pain show, she continued with her investigation. "Why?"</p><p>"She's ordinary, Bea. She's no threat to anyone. Besides," he shrugged, "I've always trusted her."</p><p>Bea's heart constricted for a moment and she looked down at her lap, her eyes finally betraying her sadness. "Would you have even told me if I hadn't been there?"</p><p>Her question took the boy by surprise. For once in his life, he didn't know what to say. "O-of course."</p><p>She glanced slowly up at him, her face the picture of distrust. "You stuttered. You never stutter." Scoffing, she called him out. "You wouldn't have told me. I can't believe this! What - were you just going to play out to me like nothing happened? You said it yourself, <em>she's</em> the only person you can trust."</p><p>"Bea, it's not my fault! It's not that simple-"</p><p>"I can't believe this," she repeated, getting out of the car.</p><p>Five rushed out after her, frustrated at his sister's actions. "Where are you going?"</p><p>"To Vanya's!" Bea exclaimed, lifting both her arms out to the side.</p><p>
  <b>-----------------------------------</b>
</p><p>They sat in silence in Vanya's front room: Five in the armchair and Bea on the sofa opposite. Five insisted that they keep the lights turned off, so as not to alert Vanya to their presence. Bea thought he just loved a dramatic flair.</p><p>Five never wanted this awkward tension between himself and his best friend. His words had slipped up in the car; of course he trusted Bea. He stuttered because he didn't know how to answer her question without blurting out the real truth: that whenever he thought about his time in the future he pictured her, dead in his arms. That after every life he took he could only ever think about a family member who may be left feeling exactly as he did. That she was his main motivation for escape, because he couldn't fathom the thought of her being destroyed by the apocalypse any more times. And, more recently, that after seeing a certain drug addict still habitually using, he needed Bea alive so that she could save Klaus from himself.</p><p>"Why didn't we use the door like I suggested?" Bea's crisp words cut through the silence like a hot knife through butter.</p><p>"The way we got in was easier. That, and picking the lock would have been more hassle than it's worth."</p><p>Bea sighed. "We didn't know for sure her windows would be unlocked. And as far as 'easy' entry goes, I don't think you really have a right to say that. You just teleported up here!"</p><p>"So? You used water to get up here; what's your point?"</p><p>"My point," Bea explained, rolling her eyes, "is that summoning water and floating myself up here was way more <em>hassle</em> than just using the door. Which, for the record, I could easily have cracked open."</p><p>Five looked at her sceptically.</p><p>"What?" she asked, unfazed. "You think I haven't had to pick a lock before? I lived on the street."</p><p>Her brother's eyes widened a fraction. "You did?"</p><p>Her orange eyes widened in kind as she realised her slip-up, feeling a distinct tightening of anxiety appear behind her ribcage. <em>He didn't know</em>. Sure, Bea had confirmed to Five earlier that same day that Luther had kicked her out of the Academy. However, it dawned on her with his response that maybe her brother didn't realise the extent of her destitution.</p><p>In an attempt to play it cool, Bea simply shrugged her shoulders, shuffling further into the comfort of Vanya's sofa. "Uh, yeah, for a while. It was no big deal."</p><p>Luckily for her, Bea had no time to see if her improvised lie had worked, as a few seconds later the distinct sound of the door's creaking hinges could be heard. She faced the source of the sound in anticipation, reclining nonchalantly on the piece of furniture and obscuring herself from direct view of the doorway.</p><p>Suddenly, the lamp was switched on, illuminating Five in his authoritative position.</p><p>"Jesus!"</p><p>"You should have locks on your windows," he stated, staring almost blankly at the woman who owned the apartment.</p><p>"I live on the second floor."</p><p>"Rapists can climb."</p><p>Vanya shook her head, closing the clearly un-oiled front door behind her. "You are so weird," she commented, muttering mostly to herself. As she turned away from the entrance to her home, she stepped hesitantly and lightly around the sofa, acting almost as if Five wasn't really in the room with her. For all she knew (or didn't know) of his powers, he could be an illusion. What Vanya wasn't expecting that evening was the second fright of her life - she was lucky her heart could take it. </p><p>Coming to the front of the sofa, Vanya was met with the sight of Phoebe Hargreeves, lounging haphazardly in her favourite spot. The sight of her friend was not the only thing that caught her off-guard; it was also the subtle 'hello' that the redhead muttered.</p><p>"Yes, I'm here too - yippee," Bea mumbled sarcastically. Her cold tone wasn't aimed at Vanya, but Five. She still didn't really understand why they had to be there. She sat up slightly, nestling herself deeper into the plush couch cushions whilst also making room for their involuntary host to sit down.</p><p>Taking a seat, Vanya took a moment to inspect her two guests, noticing one common trait: they were both covered in blood. "Is that blood?" she questioned.</p><p>"It's nothing," Five replied.</p><p>Bea smiled somewhat sadistically. "Oh sure - it's<em> nothing.</em>  Because, you know, it's totally normal to be spattered with blood."</p><p>"Would you shut up?" Five snapped softly. In response, Bea simply raised a challenging eyebrow.</p><p>After observing the clear tension between her family members, Vanya felt the need to cut in, and attempted to bring the conversation back on track. "Why are you here?" she asked.</p><p>Five sighed heavily. "We've decided you're the only one we can trust."</p><p><em>We?</em> Bea thought.<em> There was no 'we' in this decision.</em></p><p>"Why me?" Vanya asked, brows furrowed.</p><p>"Because you're ordinary," he started. "Because you'll listen."</p><p>"Okay." On this one word, Vanya rose to her feet, heading in the direction of another room. The two siblings left sitting in the lounge did so in silence, both feeling the rising tension in the atmosphere. Mere moments later, Vanya returned, holding a bottle of antiseptic liquid and a handful of cotton pads. On entering the room she, much to Bea's astonishment, headed towards the woman first. Gesturing at her with the medical supplies, Vanya inferred that she would help deal with any injuries Bea had sustained. </p><p>"You, uh, don't have to worry about me," Bea said, all hostility leaving her voice as she raised her eyebrows in surprise. "It-it's not mine."</p><p>Brown eyes widening, Vanya nodded and turned to treat Five. He held out his arm in anticipation, rolling up his sleeve to reveal his make-shift gauze. Noticing the sheer amount of blood hidden underneath his sleeve, Vanya winced, drawing in a sharp breath.</p><p>"When I jumped forward and got stuck in the future, do you know what I found?" Five asked, monotonously.</p><p>"No," Vanya replied.</p><p>"Nothing. Absolutely nothing. As far as I could tell, I was the last person left alive." He sighed. "I never figured out what killed the human race, but I did find something else. The date it happens."</p><p>On hearing his latest revelation, Bea sat up from her slouched position and leaned towards Five, paying close attention. She could never have prepared herself for his next words, however.</p><p>"The world ends in eight days and I have no idea how to stop it."</p><p>The room went silent. It was so quiet that even a pin dropping a mile away could have easily been heard. Bea felt her jaw going slack as her orange eyes widened. She felt as if she had just been given a terminal sentence; been told that she only had a week left to live. </p><p>To her right, Vanya was just the same. "I'll put on a pot of coffee," she said, quickly and clumsily moving over to her small kitchenette unit.</p><p>Collecting herself, Bea stared sharply at her best friend. "<em>Eight days?</em> Is this some kind of sick joke?"</p><p>Calmly as ever, Five kept his composure. "You demanded the truth - there it is."</p><p>"But you said that you were the only human left alive! So, where was I? Where were the rest of the family? Don't say that we were..." she paused, physically unable to voice her final thought.</p><p>Five said nothing, but his silence spoke more words than he ever could.</p><p>"Oh my god." Bea stood, her whole body shaking. "I need some air." Stumbling towards the door, her hands shook uncontrollably, making it near impossible for her to open the front door. As she struggled, Five called out to her.</p><p>"Where are you going?"</p><p>"TO GET AIR!" Bea cried out in response, finally able to wrench open the obstacle blocking her escape. Running from the room, she fled out onto the street and flung her back against the nearest wall; all while breathing heavily.</p><p>"Screw air," she huffed, as soon as she had caught her breath. "I need a drink."<br/><br/><b>-----------------------------------</b></p>
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<a name="section0009"><h2>9. n i n e</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>It was warm where she lay. Warm and comforting. She dreamt of nothing as she slept - a side effect of excessive alcohol consumption. In her unconscious state, Bea felt more at peace than she had in a long time. No memories of the previous night's escapades floated around her skull; instead simply a fuzzy but pleasant feeling. She could recall leaving Five and Vanya behind, but the reason why escaped her at this moment in time. The only phrase she could hear and visualise clearly was 'eight days'...<em>eight days? </em> What was happening in eight days?  </p><p>As her consciousness slowly began to rouse itself she dwelled on that phrase. It frustrated her to no end that she just couldn't remember what additional information it connected to. Something to do with Five? With her? With the family? </p><p>Her eyes slowly began to tear themselves open. She winced as the bright midday sunlight streamed in through a crack in the antique curtains, blinding her momentarily. Her hand moved to rub them, aiming to ease the pain behind her orange orbs. What she didn't account for, however, was the feeling of a smooth chest beneath her palm.</p><p>In a flash she was awake, alert and staring at a half naked Klaus, who lay beneath her. </p><p>He was mumbling in his sleep, muttering a soft 'no' over and over again. Suddenly, in a state of panic, he pushed himself up into a seated position, launching his arms out and throwing his feet down to the ground. As a consequence of this, the woman who had been reclining on him was unceremoniously flung (albeit it accidentally) off of the sofa and onto the hardwood below.</p><p>Klaus rubbed his face with both hands, peering through them after a second at the woman who was now in front of him. "Phoebe?" he asked in confusion.</p><p>"Ow..." was all Bea could say as she lay there, back to the floor. She made no attempt to move from where she had been thrown a second earlier. </p><p>"What in the-" Klaus paused, smiling cheekily as his eyes roamed over her. His next words were spoken in an almost seductive manner. "Why were you on top of me just now, Red? Especially dressed like <em>that</em>."</p><p>Bea took a moment to look down at herself, fearing the worst. She was relieved to see that she was covered; albeit it less than she remembered. Dressed in a pair of (she assumed) Klaus' old, grey sweatpants and her black bra, she blushed, looking up at the man. "Like you're dressed any better," she chided. If he was trying to embarrass her she'd beat him at his own game.</p><p>Klaus was indeed more scantily clad than his nap partner - wearing nothing but a small pair of brightly coloured briefs. He, unfortunately for her, was not easily embarrassed. "Like you're complaining," he said, a wink gracing his handsome face. </p><p>Now completely flustered by a mere bat of his eye, Bea thrust her hand out towards him, refusing to look him in his green eyes. "Are you going to help me up, or just leave me on the floor?"</p><p>Taking her hand, Klaus pulled her up off the ground and towards himself. Interestingly, the remanence of the drugs and alcohol in his system gave him strength that neither of them were anticipating; as he pulled on her arm she ended up flush against him, chest to chest. In order to steady herself from the sudden motion, Bea had grabbed Klaus around the waist, an action he didn't miss. To help steady her, Klaus had placed both of his hands on her arms.</p><p>"Hey," he whispered, smiling down at her.</p><p>"Hey," she whispered back, dropping her hands from his sides. In response he lowered his, moving to cross them over his chest. Despite their actions, neither of the two moved any further away from each other.</p><p>Trying to ease the tension, Bea spoke. "D-do you remember anything...from last night?" she asked, hesitantly.</p><p>"Uhh..." He looked over her shoulder to his right before turning back to her. "I ran into you at a club."</p><p>Bea turned her head to the left, looking over her shoulder to where Klaus had just been staring. All she had seen was an empty sofa. "A club?" she asked, looking back into Klaus' eyes.</p><p>"Yeah!" he exclaimed suddenly in realisation, as if someone else had just reminded him of their antics. "I was there to party and then I saw you rush in, all out of breath and angry about something. And then you downed like six shots of tequila," he chuckled, fondly. "I was so proud."</p><p>Bea shook her head, continuing to gaze at Klaus' face as the memory came back to her. "Shit, that's right," she said, laughing nervously. She cast her eyes down in preparation for her next question. "Did we...you know, " Bea's words trailed off, no further words needed. Gradually, she brought her eyes back up to look at Klaus; what she saw surprised her. His eyes had darted, once again, to the sofa behind her left shoulder. </p><p>Before she could follow his gaze to try to figure out what he was staring at, his eyes came back to hers. "No!" he blurted. "No. Not <em>that</em> far." </p><p>"Good." Realising that what she said may have insulted Klaus - and would also be a categorical lie - Bea rushed to expand on her answer. "Not like 'good, I'm glad'! More like 'good, I would've wanted to remember that."</p><p>"Same." Klaus smiled. "We did make out a few times though."</p><p>His words made the redhead blush. Hard. "W-we did?" she spluttered, trying to hide the crimson tint to her cheeks. The she laughed, genuinely this time, and willed some confidence back into her body. When they had been teenagers and in love, (or what they had believed to be 'love' at that age), she had never felt a nervous embarrassment around Klaus. Why should she let ten years of separation manifest that emotion in her? "Ah, to be seventeen again." </p><p>Klaus smiled fondly at her words, and seeing his face so lit up gave Bea the final push towards true confidence. She lowered her voice and leaned towards him slightly. "It's just a shame we were hammered when it happened, huh?" She winked, sauntering towards the hallway. "Well, I'm gonna go take a shower - catch you later!"</p><p>As Klaus watched her leave, the voice from the sofa let itself be heard once again. "You might want to pick your jaw up from off the floor."</p><p>"Shut your piehole, Ben."</p><p>
  <b>-----------------------------------------</b>
</p><p>It had been few hours since Bea had awoken on top of her former boyfriend and she was currently sitting in her childhood bedroom bored out of her mind. After she had showered, she had wandered back through the house - but Klaus was nowhere to be seen. The water from the shower was invigorating and refreshing, clearing her head completely of any encroaching headaches or hangover symptoms. It had also helped her to piece together the scraps of memories that she had retained of the night before. Closing her eyes, Bea used what was already hidden away in her brain, as well as the new information Klaus had revealed to her, to create a more vivid picture of her eventful evening.</p><p>* <b>Last night </b>*</p><p>
  <em>Bea charged into the club, not caring about who she might knock into on her way to the bar. This particular club was not one that she had ever visited before, but the big neon sign outside advertising alcohol was the only thing she needed to see to convince her to step inside.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>It was loud, sweaty and dark in the club and she wasn't exactly dressed for a wild night out like the rest of the patrons - especially with the blood splatters still very visible on her white t-shirt. She had left her black leather biker jacket at Vanya's, so had no way of disguising the scarlet substance. Bea only hoped no one would ask about it. Her black jeans were also slick in places with blood and, although it wasn't visible, Bea could feel it sticking to her leg - a constant reminder of what she had done.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>She was angry; not only had she killed people that night, but she had also left her beloved motorcycle at the doughnut shop; no doubt it would get stolen before the night was up. On top of that, she had also just been told that the world was ending in eight days, and if her favourite brother couldn't work out a way to stop it she was guaranteed to die. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>She wanted to be numb, in a way that only getting completely and utterly wasted could provide.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"Six shots of tequila," she ordered, slapping down a fifty dollar bill onto the bar. Good thing she had remembered to bring cash with her. The bartender obliged, placing six shotglasses neatly on the surface and filling each to the brim with a golden substance. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>"Salt and lime?" he asked, offering her the ingredients for traditional tequila consumption.</em>
</p><p><em>"No thanks," Bea replied coldly, before downing each shot one after the other in quick succession. It burned as it crept down her throat but she didn't care - she just wanted to stop</em> feeling<em> for a little while. </em></p><p>
  <em>It didn't take long for the alcohol to take effect, and Bea stumbled out onto the dancefloor. As she swayed to the music, letting the sounds and vibrations filter down through her body, she felt a pair of hands rest themselves on her waist from behind. Spinning on her heels, she shoved the mysterious stranger away from her, a scowl residing on her pretty face. "You wanna fucking die? Who gave you the right to put your hands on me, you fucking pervert!"</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"Woah, chill out sweetheart-!"</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"'Sweetheart'? I'll show you 'sweetheart'."</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Bea's fist never reached its intended destination; before she knew it she was being dragged away from the dancefloor, leaving the disgruntled stranger behind. She felt herself being led over to a more secluded part of the building, where club-goers seemed to be relaxing rather than pulsating to the music.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>The redheaded woman went to give the unknown rescuer a piece of her mind, but her words - and her scowl - died as soon as she laid her eyes on his face.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"Klaus!" she beamed, not hesitating to grab his face and kiss him roughly on the mouth. In her drunken state, she didn't register that it had been years since she had last kissed him. In her drunken state, she felt youthful, confident. Eyes hazy, she had also missed the way his green orbs had widened in shock as their lips collided. "What are you doing here?" Bea shouted, having to keep her mouth close to Klaus' ear in order to be heard clearly.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Klaus frequented this club regularly; it was one of his top spots for the acquisition of his 'special tablets'. Ben rarely entered with him, though, choosing not to manifest himself in such a lewd and overcrowded environment. This didn't bother the taller man; if he could get high in peace then he'd take every opportunity he could. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>"Partying, what else?" he replied, shouting in equal volume to Bea. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>"You wanna get more drinks?" she asked. "I really need to get drunk!"</em>
</p><p>
  <em>He laughed, the poison in his system fueling his giddy nature. "You're already drunk, silly!"</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"More!" Bea laughed, pulling Klaus by the hand towards the bar.</em>
</p><p>-- -- --<br/><br/></p><p>
  <em>They stumbled into the Academy, hungrily attacking each others lips with their own. Bea let out a moan, running her hands through Klaus' messy, black hair as he grasped at her waist. They pulled away, laughing. "I need to get out of these jeans," Bea whined, trying to peel the tight material away from her skin. The dried blood was irritating her and she needed to get it as far away from her as possible. She eventually succeeded in removing the offensive garment, throwing it onto the floor behind them.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Klaus just watched, his eyes glazed over with adoration.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"Klaus?"</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"Hmm?"</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"Do you have any sweats I can wear? I need something comfy." She kissed him again, softly this time. "And something that smells like you."</em>
</p><p><em>He kissed her back, caressing the side of her face with his soft hand. "Stay here." On that, he rushed off towards his room, returning moments later with a pair of  sweatpants that belonged to his old Academy sports uniform. He was sure they would fit</em> <em>her; he had been a tall teenager after all. He</em> <em>handed them to Bea and she took them gratefully, slipping them on with surprising ease. Once she had done so, she removed her bloodstained t-shirt, that too finding its way to the ground. This left her upper body covered only by her black</em> <em>bra</em>.</p><p>
  <em>Their lips collided again quickly </em>
  <em>and</em>
  <em> Bea led Klaus towards the sofa in the living room. He shed his own clothes as they went, keeping only his underwear on. As he fell onto the sofa, he pulled Bea down on top of him, stopping their actions to look deep into her eyes. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>"God, I love you."</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"I love you too, Klaus."</em>
</p><p>
  <em>She lay her head gently on his shoulder, resting her palm on his chest in front of her. The two of them drifted off to sleep, more comfortable and happy than they had been in over ten years.</em>
</p><p><em>* </em><b>Present day</b> *</p><p>Bea's eyes sprang open as the story concluded.<em> Klaus said he loved me,</em> she thought. Did that mean he had never stopped loving her, or was it just the drugs and alchol talking? All she knew was that the world was ending in less than eight days, and if there was ever a time to sort her love life out it was now.</p><p>Jumping to her feet she ran to grab her phone, frantically checking for Klaus' number just in case he had added it last night. "Shit," she whispered. No luck. </p><p>Still dressed in Klaus sweatpants, but now with an appropriate tank top on, Bea snagged a jacket from her wardrobe and headed back towards the Academy's front door. If she had to go out hunting for Klaus then she would. </p><p>As it turned out, luck was in fact on her side that day. Taped to the door was a slip of paper with two words scrawled messily in the centre:</p><p>
  <em>Meritech prosthetics xx</em>
</p><p>It looked like Bea had her destination.</p><p>
  <b>------------------------------------------</b>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0010"><h2>10. t e n</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Bea realised that before she could travel anywhere she would need to get her bike back - if it was still where she left it, that was. She'd kill Five if it had been stolen; he was the one who had promised her that it wouldn't be, after all. </p><p>The only downside to this plan was how to haul herself to the doughnut shop. It may have been a five minute drive away, but by foot it could take her anywhere between twenty and twenty-five minutes. She could run there...<em>Nope. Never in a million years, </em>she thought to herself. </p><p>Rather than wasting any more time on what could be a time sensitive situation, Bea made the decision to push on through the Academy's mahogany entrance and start the trek through the city. Before she could leave, however, something out of the corner of her eye caught her attention. She noticed that her clothes were no longer on the floor; instead, they had been folded and placed on a chair in the Academy's grand foyer, most likely by Pogo. It wasn't just her clothes being moved that grabbed her, though, it was the photographs peeking out of her jeans' pocket. Bea slid them out, smiling at the faces of her brother and her Klaus. She carefully placed them in her jacket's inside pocket, close to her heart, hoping to keep them safe. </p><p>As she passed through the wrought iron gates and onto the streets at a motivated pace, Bea barely had a second to react before she found herself being mowed down - quite literally - with great force. She ended up sprawled out onto the concrete, the palms of both her hands scraped and bleeding, and her smartphone cracked from the force of hitting the sidewalk next to her. Looking up, she saw her assailant a meter away holding his head in his hands and cursing loudly.</p><p>"Are you insane?" she called out. "Use your damn eyes!"</p><p>The man (or really boy) looked up, clearly aggravated. "Yo, this is a public sidewalk, you idiot - you can't just jump in front of people like that!" </p><p>As her anger intensified, Bea clambered to her feet, feeling the palms of her hands begin to dampen. A wonderful side effect of her manipulation over water was the ability to heal light cuts and scrapes by submerging the injured area in the element. In this instance, as there was no pool of water nearby, Bea's body naturally accumulated the liquid by condensing it from the air. She had no recognition of doing so; it was completely natural to her. </p><p>Palms now healed, she leaned down slowly and grabbed her phone, staring intently at the crack defacing its once pristine screen. Slipping it with careful precision into her jacket pocket, she raised her eyes back to her assailant's. In her right hand, the water had begun to gather en masse - and the boy had noticed. As the liquid began to take the form of a small, yet very sharp knife, his eyes widened. </p><p>"W-what are you? S-some kind of freak?"</p><p>Bea rolled her eyes and frowned in disapproval. "Wrong choice of words, kid. Now," she paused briefly, "give me the skateboard."</p><p>If it were possible, his eyes widened a fraction more - his youthful face now resembling that of an unfortunate deer, caught in the doom of its killer's headlights. </p><p>"Hand it over,now!" she barked. She may not have been an overall intimidating woman - typically all smiles and laughs and kind words - but Phoebe Hargreeves could flip the switch to terrifying when it benefitted her the most.</p><p>The petrified teen threw the offending object at the redhead, before scrambling over his heels as he sped away from her.<em> Well, I guess that wasn't a total disaster,</em> Bea thought as she righted the upside-down skateboard, <em>it sure beats walking.</em> It seemed luck was on her side that day; she could only hope for it to last. </p><p>
  <b>----------------------------------</b>
</p><p>Just over seven minutes later, Bea stopped outside Griddy's. Her orange orbs immediately sought out her black and gold bike over the road (where she remembered it being last she saw it), kicking the board to one side. "Please be there, please be there, please be there" she muttered, eyes roaming behind the parked cars. And then...she saw it. </p><p>Well.</p><p>Most of it.</p><p>"Son of a bitch!" Running over to her prized possession, Bea leaned over it and let out an exasperated sigh, placing her hands on the seat. "Who in the <em>hell</em> steals motorcycle wheels?" she shouted. There was no doubt about it; the woman was pissed off beyond belief. It had been less that twenty-four hours and the only good thing she owned had been torn apart, rendering it completely useless.</p><p>Part of her was relieved that her vehicle was still there, and that the hidden lockbox on the back had somehow been spared, but the rest of her was furious. <em>At least I know I can come back for it later, </em>she thought, somewhat bitterly.  </p><p>Her good luck had run out, as it was inevitably going to. Bea was at an impasse; continue on with the skateboard or jack another vehicle? The upside of having the skateboard was that no cop was going to come after her for it. No one had seen the incident and she was sure that the cocky teen wouldn't breath a word of it. At that age pride would take over; he'd most likely say he lost it doing some overexaggeated trick in a back alley skate park, than say it was stolen by a five-foot-six redheaded woman who threatened him with <em>water</em>.</p><p>The downside of the skateboard was that it was much slower than a motorbike. Bea had used her phone back at the Academy to check for the address of this 'Meritech Prosthetics' place, and it seemed like a solid drive away from her. Now she had taken a detour to the doughnut shop, her estimated time of travel to the mysterious company would have almost doubled. She had to make a decision, and quickly.</p><p>She didn't like to steal; it wasn't in her repertoire of things she enjoyed most in the world. In this case, she figured that since the world was ending in around seven days, the owner of the 1977 Harley-Davidson parked around the back of the restaurant wouldn't mind her commandeering it for a while; better that than death, she supposed. </p><p>Forming a pair of pliers from a puddle near her feet, Bea snuck carefully over to the vehicle, allowing herself a moment to marvel at its beauty, before reaching underneath it to snip the wires and hotwire the vintage ride. As it roared to life, the woman swore she heard a confused shout coming from behind her, but she willed herself to ignore it and pressed on to her next destination.</p><p>
  <b>----------------------------------</b>
</p><p>As Bea was just starting to make her way over to the lab, two very familiar figures stepped out of it, having just spent a very theatrical half an hour within its walls. Whilst the smaller of the two appeared well-groomed with a frustrated scowl adorning his face, the taller was far more dishevelled, covered in glittery water and his own blood, which was still leaking profusely from a large gash in his forehead. </p><p>"Well, this is not good," Five concluded, striding out through the laboratory doors.</p><p>"I was pretty good though, right?" Klaus asked, bounding after his brother. "Yeah. <em>'What about my consent, bitch?' </em>" he repeated, giggling at his own actions.</p><p>"Klaus," Five stressed, irritation lacing his tone. "It doesn't matter!"</p><p>Klaus continued to act in a nonchalant manner. He had no idea what had got his brother so riled up since he'd been back. It was in Klaus' nature not to dwell on any given situation; the drugs consistently prevalent in his system made sure that he always remained somewhat aloof. That wasn't to say he couldn't be serious when he wanted to be - last night was a prime example. He meant what he said to Bea, about being in love with her. Was that what he said? Klaus seemed to recall saying something along those lines, and if he did it was no mistake. </p><p>Turning to face Five, Klaus spoke again. "What? What? What's the big deal with this eye, anyway?" he asked, waving his hand around beside his head.</p><p>Five took a step closer to Klaus, narrowing his eyes. He supposed now was as good a time as any to lay the gravity of their situation onto his brother. "There is someone out there who's going to lose an eye in the next seven days," he started. "They're gonna bring about the end of life on this Earth as we know it." Walking past Klaus, Five gave his brother a few moments to digest this new piece of information. He expected much the same reaction as his sisters had given him; especially Bea, who's reaction was so severe that she practically ran away from him whilst hyperventilating. He knew from Klaus that she was safely back at the Academy, but he was still ignorant to the state she had got herself into the night before.</p><p>"Yeah," Klaus turned around to face Five. "Can I get that twenty bucks like, now, or what?"</p><p>"Your twenty bucks?" That was not the reaction Five was expecting. Klaus was known for his dramatic flair - that had been evident in the events that had transpired inside the prosthetics lab just minutes prior. </p><p>"Yeah, my twenty bucks."</p><p>Taking a step towards the taller man, Five glowered in disbelief. "The apocalypse is coming, and all you can think about is getting high?" He all but shouted.</p><p>"Well, I'm also quite hungry," Klaus commented, softening his voice in a patronising way. "Tummy's a-rumbling." Using his hands as a visual aid, the man imitated the sound of a gurgling stomach, all the while smiling sarcastically.  </p><p>"You're useless," Five muttered, "You're all useless!" He walked towards the stone steps, lowering himself onto them in defeat. It wasn't just his life at stake, or even the lives of the billions of inhabitants on the Earth, but his family's - the most important people to him. His failure at the laboratory was a gargantuan blow, and Five was feeling the effects. Klaus clearly didn't understand.</p><p>"Oh, come on," Klaus said, following him. "You need to lighten up, old man." Stopping a short distance away from the steps, Klaus had a sudden revelation. "Hey, you know, I've just now realized why you're so uptight." Five looked up. "You must be horny as hell!" Klaus laughed, gesturing not all that subtly at his groin. Sitting down heavily next to his brother, Klaus continued his tirade. "All those years by yourself. It's gotta screw with your head, being alone."</p><p>A comfortable moment of silence passed over them, before Five decided to break it.</p><p>"Well," he said softly, "I wasn't alone."</p><p>"Oh?" Klaus faced Five, always the lover of a juicy piece of gossip. "Pray tell." His wound had stopped bleeding by this point, leaving a crimson trail of blood over his right eye.</p><p>Five sighed. "Her name was Delores. We were together for over thirty years."</p><p>"Thirty years?" Klaus exclaimed. Five nodded, looking down at his feet.  "Oh, wow!" Chuckling to himself, Klaus' face morphed into one of deep thought. "God, the longest I've been with someone was...I don't know-"</p><p>"Just under two years."</p><p>That caught Klaus by surprise. "How did you...?"</p><p>Five looked up and out into the road opposite, squinting in the sunlight. "Vanya told me. I suspected something had happened between you and Bea - all the signs were there. The longing gazes, the paintings and photographs hidden away in your rooms. I had to know."</p><p>"Yeah, well...that was a different time. We were younger then," Klaus muttered, a sad twinge to his voice. His relationship with Bea now was different than it was back then; he may have loved her, and she him, but there was a distinct lack of innocence. They were each others' firsts. Now, he felt tainted. </p><p>"So you don't love her anymore?" Five's question broke through Klaus' self deprecating thoughts. </p><p>"What? No, no, of course I do!"</p><p>Five frowned, a common occurrence these days. "Then what's the issue? She loves you, you know, that much is obvious. Even you should be able to see that."</p><p>Klaus scratched the back of his head, nervously chuckling. "She could do so much better than me."</p><p>Five didn't say anything else; he didn't know what he<em> could</em> say. His brother didn't seem to realise that Bea needed him just as much as he needed her. That, on some level, she was just as fucked up as he was. They sat there together, allowing the silence to wash over them in waves. Moments later, a harsh sound sliced through the peace. A motorcycle engine.</p><p>
  <b>----------------------------------</b>
</p><p>Bea pulled up outside a large brick building. Squinting to get a good look at it in the harsh sunlight, she nodded her head. There, in large white letters was the name she was looking for. <em>This is the place</em>, she thought to herself. What she still had no idea about, however, was why Klaus would have come here in the first place. The only evidence she possessed that showed he had any connection to the building was the note that he had left for her. She was lucky that she still remembered how terrible his handwriting was, so she knew it had been left by him. </p><p>Parking her newly 'acquired' bike on the curb opposite, Bea sat there for a moment, debating her next move. She could either step inside and hope to find Klaus, or hang around outside and hope that he would emerge. Both options weren't that satisfying in her mind. She didn't really have time for 'hope'; she needed definitive clarity.</p><p>Pessimism seeping into her brain, she stepped off the motorbike and walked steadily towards the lab's entrance, determined to find her target. As she approached the doors, she could almost feel luck shaking her hand as two very familiar figures came into sight, sitting on the stone steps, side-by-side. </p><p>"Phoebe?" Five asked, confusing seeping into his voice.</p><p>"I don't like it when you call me 'Phoebe'," Bea said, smiling at the sight of her best friend. The smile dropped from her pretty face, however, when she noticed the state of the man sitting next to him. "Klaus? What the hell happened to you? I-Is that...blood?" </p><p>Still reeling from his deep conversation with Five, Klaus smiled sadly, waving off the woman's concerns. "It's only mine, don't worry!"</p><p>"That's not more reassuring," Bea said, reaching out to touch the wound. "How did this happen?" she asked.</p><p>"It's a long story," Five said, jumping into the conversation, "and we don't really have the time to explain it." Standing, he looked towards the bike that Bea had ridden in on. "That's not your bike," he said blankly.</p><p>Turning away from Klaus, fingers still gently touching his face, Bea faced Five. "I know," she stated in annoyance. "My other one got stolen, like I said it would."</p><p>"It did?" Five asked.</p><p>"Well, not all of it. Just the wheels."</p><p>Klaus wheezed at that, laughing as he rose to his feet. "They took the<em> wheels?</em> "</p><p>"It's not funny!" Bea cried in frustration. "I told you this would happen, Five! You can buy me some new ones," she stated, pointedly staring at him with her arms folded.</p><p>"Whatever," Five mumbled. "Wait a second - how did you find us?" he asked, raising an eyebrow in suspicion. There was no way that she would have been able to guess where they were unless... "Klaus?"</p><p>Widening his green eyes to resemble that of a puppy, Klaus was the picture of guilty innocence.</p><p>"At least he informs me of what's happening straight away," Bea stated, staring at both of the men now. </p><p>Five sighed in annoyance. He didn't know why he was annoyed; he was planning on asking for Bea's help in this particular escapade, before realising he couldn't find her. He guessed it was her comment about Klaus that made him feel that way. "You know why I couldn't tell you everything straight away, Bea."</p><p>She sighed in return, closing her eyes. "I know, I'm sorry. That was a stupid thing to say." Shaking her head slightly, she attempted to change the subject. "So, what's our next move?" Looking towards the space where her best friend had been, all she saw was...nothing. "Five?" Frantically looking around, Bea couldn't see the boy anywhere. "Where did he go?" she asked Klaus.</p><p>Before the man could answer her, the two of them witnessed a taxi driving by, a familiar face waving at them from the backseat. </p><p>"Hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, what about my money?" Klaus shouted after him.</p><p>"Money?"</p><p>"Uhh, nothing?"</p><p>Bea rolled her eyes, grabbing the man's hand. "Come on, let's go get you cleaned up."</p><p>Klaus smiled, revelling in the feeling of Bea's soft hand in his. He may not have thought he was worthy of her love, but he would damn well bask in it's warmth while he still could.</p><p>
  <b>----------------------------------</b>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0011"><h2>11. e l e v e n</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"Damn! Motorcycles, huh?" Klaus declared, entering the pristine apartment. Bea had thought it a good idea to transport the two of them to her moderately sized apartment, considering it was closer to the laboratory than the Academy was. As Klaus' head still harboured an open wound, it was Bea's prerogative to get him treated as soon as possible. That's how the man found himself on the back of her 'new' motorbike, wind (unfortunately) not rushing through his hair as the woman had gently shoved her helmet onto his head. <em>You already have one head wound, </em>she had said, <em>let's not risk two.</em></p><p>Bea chuckled fondly at his comment. "I know, right?" she said, guiding him over to the plush couch once she had closed the front door. "But don't get any ideas about buying one."</p><p>"Aw, why not?" he whined.</p><p>"Because," she shook her head, "you'd be a danger to society."</p><p>Klaus didn't say anything else. As he went to protest, he realised that she was completely correct, nodding in resigned defeat and slumping back onto the cushions that he was perched on. </p><p>Bea's apartment wasn't anything particularly special; it consisted of a main living room with a kitchenette, a bedroom, an 'art' room and a small bathroom. Though not substantial, it was relatively inexpensive. The upside to having the ability to control water was that she didn't have to pay for the stuff when she could summon it from elsewhere. Was it stealing? Perhaps. Did she care? Not in the slightest.</p><p>Most of the wall surfaces in the living room were covered in a mix of early and later artworks, painted by Bea herself. They gave the plain, white walls vivid personality and brightened up the entire space. Interspersed between the paintings were photographs - old and new. Whilst the old photographs centered around the Umbrella Academy, and were namely old newspaper cutouts, the newer ones were self portraits of Bea, as well as artistic portraits of the city.</p><p>"Stay here, I have a first aid kit in the bathroom," Bea instructed, trusting that the man would do as she said. As she exited the room, Klaus couldn't help but cast his gaze at the artwork around him. His jaw dropped at the calibre of talent that his old flame possessed. </p><p>As Bea re-entered, Klaus made his thoughts known. "These are amazing, Red. Seriously!"</p><p>Blushing, Bea smiled in thanks. "Thank you. Sometimes I feel like they're too much; having them everywhere, I mean."</p><p>Klaus sat up slightly as Bea made her way towards him, setting herself down smoothly on the couch. She carefully took an alcohol wipe out of the bag she was carrying and raised her hand to his forehead. "Tell me if this stings, okay?"</p><p>He nodded; in response, Bea carefully dabbed at the wound, cleaning the blood away. "Why would you think your paintings were too much?" He hissed slightly as the wipe grazed the source of the blood.</p><p>"Sorry," she muttered. "I don't know," she answered in response to his earlier question. "Too much colour? A reminder of what I used to be able to do?" She scoffed, trading the blood-soaked wipe for a clean one. </p><p>"You can't paint anymore?" Klaus asked, his green eyes misted over with sadness.</p><p>"Please don't look at me like that!" she reprimanded, continuing to dab at the cuts adorning Klaus' head. "It's not that I <em>can't </em>paint physically, I just..." she paused, trying to find the right words. "I just lost motivation. Inspiration. <em>Ideas.</em>"</p><p>"Why?"</p><p><em>Why indeed? </em>Bea didn't fully understand the reasoning behind why she'd stopped painting, even though she had some semblance of it.</p><p>
  <em>A year ago, she'd spent some time outside of her apartment, just wandering around the city. It's what she often did to pass the time. Sometimes she would happen across a particular individual or object that would seem to call out to her, itching to be painted. When that happened, she'd memorise as much as she could, (or take a sneaky photograph), and dash home to paint it. </em>
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  <em>One particular February afternoon, Bea had ambled past an old, back-alley bookstore. There was nothing outwardly spectacular about it, but a large, neon 'SALE NOW ON' sign in the frontward bay window had grabbed her attention. In scanning her eyes over the books on offer, her gaze snapped to a familiar face. Vanya Hargreeves. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>Bea had known of Vanya's autobiography being published four years prior, but had possessed the sense not to read it. Who knew what sordid secrets and 'truths' her old friend had revealed? Sales had boomed when it was first released to the world, but it appeared that over time, its popularity had diminished. Now being sold for a measly four dollars, Bea couldn't resist entering the store and buying herself a copy. She would later realise that this was a mistake.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Bea tore open the front cover as soon as she had arrived back at her apartment. She only cared about one thing in that moment: what had been said about her, if she had been mentioned at all. When Bea saw her name, she read aloud the words on the page. </em>
</p><p><em>"Then there's Number Eight: Phoebe. She was a new addition to the family, and I always felt like my father liked her more than me, even though I had been there from the start. Phoebe was different; she was </em>special. <em>She tried so hard to be friends with me, and I'll always appreciate her for that. But I didn't think there was a way that someone like her could ever be friends with someone like me. And honestly? I still believe that."</em></p><p>
  <em>Bea stopped reading, a breath catching in her throat. While it wasn't the worst thing that could have been said about her - and she certainly couldn't resent Vanya for speaking her truth - it still hurt. It still made her feel sad. Sadness could be a great motivator for artists of all kinds, but for Bea it served only to kill her desire to create.</em>
</p><p>"It's hard to say," Bea managed to reply to Klaus, once her memory had subsided.</p><p>Klaus reached up to remove Bea's hand from his forehead, his larger hand encasing hers. "You can tell me, Bea. You can tell me anything."</p><p>She nodded after a beat, removing her hand from his and standing to retrieve an object from the shelf behind her. Handing over the dog-eared book to Klaus, Bea sat down once again. "I didn't read it straight away. When I read it last year it made me...sad. And since then I've found it hard to be creative." She sighed. "Reading that made me realise just how fucked up our family was."</p><p>Klaus looked up from the object in his hands, staring directly into Bea's orange eyes. "You were that upset by what she said about you?"</p><p>"It's not what she said about <em>me</em>," Bea started. "It's what she felt like she had to say at all. It just made me <em>so sad.</em>" For a moment Klaus said nothing, and it made the redhead feel like she had to justify herself. "I told you it was a stupid reason - that's why I didn't want to say anything in the first place!"</p><p>She stood up, grabbing the book from him and pacing away. Shoving the offending object haphazardly back onto the wooden shelf, she turned back around, desperately trying to change the subject. "Oh my god, I'm the worst host ever! I forgot to offer you a drink." As Bea started to rush off towards the kitchenette, a slender hand reached out to grab her wrist, stopping her where she stood. </p><p>"Phoebe." Klaus' grip was firm, albeit slightly sweaty. It had been almost a full twenty hours since his last fix, and his body was starting to react negatively. He'd have to amend that particular problem later, without Bea's knowledge; he couldn't face disappointing her again. In that moment, however, drugs were not on his mind. "Stop."</p><p>"Sorry."</p><p>"Don't-" Words couldn't mend her mood right now, but he knew what could. Pulling her roughly towards him, Klaus enveloped Bea in an embrace, resting his now patched up head on top of hers. In response, Bea folded into him, grasping onto his shirt and resting her head against his chest.</p><p>They stood there in that position for a good minute before Klaus spoke again. "Better?" he asked, softly.</p><p>"Yeah," Bea mumbled in reply. Pulling away slightly to look up at him, she spoke again. "Thank you."</p><p>"Anytime, Red," he smiled. </p><p>"Klaus, can I ask you something?" she asked, suddenly.</p><p>He nodded, pulling out of their embrace slightly, in order to look at her properly in the face.</p><p>"Did you mean what you said last night? Because...I meant what I said. And if the world does end in a week then there's no harm in saying it."</p><p>Klaus was taken aback by her question, momentarily panicked because he couldn't remember exactly what it was he had said. He was high and drunk off his ass last night, and had consequently probably said a million-and-one things to the beautiful woman in front of him. Luckily for him, Klaus had a secret weapon that could remember the things he couldn't, and it was called 'Ben'. </p><p>Speaking of the ghostly brother, Ben was perched on the kitchen counter, watching the drama unfold like a bad soap opera and thoroughly wishing he could eat popcorn right about now. When he noticed his brother looking over at him with a subtle strip of panic lacing his green eyes, he rolled his own before helping him out. </p><p>"You said you loved her, you big idiot."</p><p>"That's right!" he exclaimed. </p><p>Ben dropped his face into his right palm. "You know you just said that out loud, right?"</p><p>Klaus had not known. </p><p>"'That's right'? So you did?" Bea asked, hope clinging to her tone like ivy.</p><p>Did Klaus love her? He didn't have to think very hard about it. <em>He did. </em>He always had. Not only was she physically beautiful, but her soul was too. Phoebe Hargreeves had always been full of sunshine and positivity throughout their childhood. It was one of the reasons that the man had fallen in love with her when they were teenagers. Pushing on into adulthood had been torture without her; not knowing where she was, how she was doing, whether or not she was actually <em>alive</em>...it was one of the reasons his body had completely turned to drugs. They were a solution to his pain. </p><p>He didn't need to satiate her question with words. He kissed her. <em>Hard. </em>Reluctantly pulling away, he smiled with his teeth. "Does that answer your question?"</p><p>"More than," she laughed, kissing him again. Maybe her creative slump was finally over.</p><p>
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</p><p>Around an hour later, Klaus and Bea were still hanging out at the latter's apartment.</p><p>"Shit!" Klaus blurted out, shocking Bea as she lay on his chest.</p><p>"What?" she asked, suddenly worried.</p><p>"Oh, it's nothing," the man said, with a wave of his hand. "I just remembered that I need to head back to the Academy. Pogo's on my ass about finding something I <em>allegedly </em>lost, so...I should probably go find it."</p><p>Bea's eyes narrowed playfully as she raised an eyebrow. "Did you lose it?"</p><p>"...That's besides the point."</p><p>She laughed, a wonderful melody that filled the room. "Come on," she instructed, standing up from where they lay. "I'll give you a ride."</p><p>Klaus sat up, a mischievous glint in his eye. "Again? Darling I'm still tired from ten minutes ago!"</p><p>"Klaus!" Bea shouted in embarrassment, whacking the man on the arm.</p><p>"Ow, okay, okay, I'm sorry!" Standing up, he stretched. "A ride over there would be great, thanks."</p><p>The two of them headed towards the front door, ready to leave, before Bea stopped them. "Actually, do you mind if I just go to the bathroom real quick, before we leave?"</p><p>"Sure," Klaus replied. As the woman headed out of the room, Klaus took another chance to look at the photographs on the wall. As his eyes roved over the pictures of Bea, they stopped on a particular shot. She was sat in a park, under a tree. The shot was taken from a distance, so Klaus assumed that either she had asked a stranger to take it for her or, more likely, she had set it on a timer. Bea looked incredibly peaceful, smiling in the shade with her eyes closed as the wind subtly caressed her hair. It was breathtaking, and totally encapsulated the woman. Glancing behind himself towards the bathroom, Klaus checked that the coast was clear before he snagged the photograph from off the wall and into his jacket pocket.</p><p>He jumped as the bathroom door clicked open. Whether or not Bea saw him jump, he wasn't sure. If she had seen his spooked appearance, she hadn't said anything.</p><p>"Ready to go?"</p><p>"Yep, let's go!"</p><p>
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<a name="section0012"><h2>12. t w e l v e</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The motorcycle ride back to the Academy was short and sweet, though for both the travellers it could have afforded to be longer. Bea, although still upset by the loss of her beloved black and gold motorbike, was in love with the Harley Davidson. It was longer than her old bike, with more space for both riders. This didn't stop Klaus from sitting as close to the woman as he could, though, wrapping his arms tightly around her waist as he sat behind her. Naturally, Bea's response was to smile stupidly to herself at their close proximity.</p><p>Even though the two of them knew that the world was most likely ending within the week, there was still a <em>slight </em>chance that they could stop the apocalypse and come out the other side alive. Five was on the case, and if there was anyone who could find a solution, it was him. </p><p>Bea, though admittedly incredibly scared about the prospect of dying in what she could only imagine as an excruciatingly fiery blaze, was currently in a state of bliss. She would not - could not - allow the future to ruin her good mood; especially as it had been years since she had felt so unequivocally happy.</p><p>
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</p><p>On arriving back at the Academy, Bea parked the motorcycle in an alleyway, hiding it behind a dumpster so as to ensure that it wouldn't get stolen...by anyone else. </p><p>"Well that was a blast!" Klaus said excitedly, as he swung his leg gracefully over the side of the vehicle. "I really do think-"</p><p>"You're not getting one," Bea stated, facing away from him as she hopped off her bike and placed her helmet on the back seat.</p><p>Klaus exhaled dramatically, as a small child would, before crossing his arms over his chest. "Why not?" he cried.</p><p>"Because," the redhead turned to face him, "as we said before: you would crash it. And then you'd get all pissed because you broke your new toy, go to steal mine and then crash that too."</p><p>There was a brief pause as Klaus looked up towards the metal staircases that ran along the side of the building. What Bea couldn't see (or hear) was the long deceased Ben, who was resting on the landing between two flights of stairs with his legs dangling down. He had spoken up; the reason behind Klaus' distracted glance upwards. "She's not wrong, you know. You still can't drive a <em>car</em> - how would you ride, or even control, a motorcycle?" Ben asked, mocking his brother's inability to drive, mostly due to his relationship with narcotics.</p><p>After a beat, Klaus shook his head, appearing to Bea that he was disagreeing with what <em>she </em>had just said, and not his brother. "That is so not true - I <em>can </em>drive..." he muttered.</p><p>Bea stepped towards him, resting a hand delicately on his cheek. "You probably can't," she retorted, smiling as she headed towards one of the Academy's many entrances. As she walked, she continued to talk, asking Klaus a very prevalent question: "Don't you have something important to be doing, that we specifically rushed back for?"</p><p>"Do I?" he asked, tilting his head to one side like a confused puppy. </p><p>She stopped in her tracks, turning around briefly to give him a look that said, <em>are you seriously that stupid?</em></p><p>"OH - Pogo!" Klaus shouted, before running in the opposite direction to the woman, waving his arms erratically as he ran whilst chanting the word 'shit' over and over. Bea shook her head fondly, letting out a soft laugh, before continuing her trek into the house.</p><p><b>--------------------------------------</b>-</p><p>Her first port of call was to find Five; she hadn't seen him since he vanished with haste from the Meritech laboratories, for reasons still unknown to her. She figured he may have returned to the Academy by now, and even if he hadn't it couldn't hurt to check. </p><p>She also felt the need to check up on Diego. When she'd last seen him, her actions weren't exactly friendly as she'd let her emotions get the best of her. Bea wanted to find her brother and patch things up before it was too late. Besides, she had nothing else she <em>had</em> to be doing. She could have checked in with her job, but with a full day of 'personal holiday' <em>technically </em>still left before she had to return, she didn't want to risk the wrath of her boss. The last time she had refused to take her holiday, her superiors had her physically removed from the premises so she could 'rest'.</p><p>Bea worked six days a week at a local art supply store. Working in such a place certainly hadn't helped with her grievance at being unable to paint anything over the past year, but she thought that it was the best use of her time. Unfortunately, Bea's obsession with keeping herself busy had led to her boss and colleagues mis-labelling her as a 'workaholic'. The real reason that Bea was obsessed with occupying her mind was simply that if she didn't, she would become overwhelmed by a barrage of negative memories and feelings. Lately, these feelings had been pleasantly absent from her mind; surrounding herself with her family, especially Five and Klaus, had secured that. <br/>The other upside to her job was the pay; it was good enough to keep her in her centrally located apartment. After experiencing a life of petty theft and homelessness, Bea was never going to allow herself a repeat of the past.</p><p>On re-entry to the Academy, Bea found herself wandering through abandoned and unused rooms that were full of old junk, and mountains of dust. As a child, these rooms were perfect hidey-holes to escape to - though back then they were much cleaner and well-kept than they were now. The woman coughed, covering her mouth as she quickly made her way to the house's foyer.</p><p>As she began heading up the grand staircase, a throat was cleared behind her. "Miss Bea?"</p><p>"Yeah, Pogo?" </p><p>The old ape looked at the woman, a gentle smile gracing his face. "You haven't happened across Master Klaus recently, have you?"</p><p>Bea smiled, replying. "I brought him back here about, say, three minutes ago? He said he needed to find something for you." She paused, watching her old friend nod. "I'm sure he'll be around the Academy somewhere!"</p><p>"Thank you, Miss Bea."</p><p>As the chimp began to make his way towards another room, Bea called out to stop him. "Pogo, wait!"</p><p>He halted in his movements, glancing back towards the staircase. "Yes, Miss Bea?" he asked.</p><p>"I don't suppose you've seen Five or Diego around, have you?"</p><p>Pogo cleared his throat lightly, in preparation for speech. "Unfortunately, Master Diego is currently not on the premises. However," he continued, "I believe Master Five is in his bedroom."</p><p>"Thank you!" Bea cried, before rocketing off towards Five's room.</p><p>Pogo shook his head, allowing a fond smile to light up his wrinkled face. "It's so good to have the children back," he muttered to himself, before continuing his search for Number Four.</p><p><b>--------------------------------------</b>-</p><p>Bea honestly didn't know what to expect when she eventually got to Five's room, but it certainly wasn't what she saw.</p><p>"Jesus, Five - what the hell happened to you?" She froze in the doorway - which he had left wide open - and stared with horrified eyes at her brother. He was preoccupied at that moment, covered in blood, with a surgical needle and thread in his left hand. His uniformed blazer, sweater vest, white shirt and tie had been removed, leaving only his white vest covering his top half.</p><p>"Y-you're covered in blood. Again!" Bea continued, still unable to move towards him. "<em>Where</em> did you go?" she demanded an answer from him - if he'd been involved in another blowout like at the doughnut shop, she felt she deserved to know what kind of dangers were out there.</p><p>"None of your concern," Five responded bluntly.</p><p>His sister wasn't having any of that.</p><p>"I can see that you're in pain, Five," she smiled, but there was no sincerity behind it. "Your arm is cut open, you're bleeding profusely, and I hope to God that you weren't thinking of stitching yourself up with that <em>string</em>." Crossing her arms, Bea covered the space between them. She stopped right in front of him; if he'd been taller, they would have been face to face. Leaning down towards him, she let the smile drop slightly from her face as she asked, "Were you?"</p><p>He remained silent, adopting his signature glare as his eyes met hers, his thick eyebrows knitted together. <br/>The woman said nothing in response; instead, she held her hand out with the expectation that he would hand over the sharp instrument.</p><p>The standoff lasted a few moments, both siblings as stubborn as the other before Five sighed and gave in, handing his needle over. Bea backed off in triumph, straightening up.</p><p>"Sit on the bed," she ordered, heading towards the door. "I'll be right back." The redhead smirked to herself as she left; <em>I hope he likes the fact that I used his own words against him, </em>she thought.</p><p>A few minutes later she returned - without a medical kit. <br/>"I thought you were getting a first aid kit?" Five asked, confused, when he saw his sister return with only a wet flannel.</p><p>"Nope. This is all I need. And I just disposed of that needle so you'll never find it again."</p><p>"I'm not a child, Bea," he scowled. "I don't need my sister to protect me from needles-"</p><p>She sat next to him, staring him down with a fixed frown. "Oh yeah?" she interrupted. "Then why are you acting like one?"</p><p>"Whatever."</p><p>"Point proven. Now, sit still or this won't work." Taking the wet flannel, she placed it over the deep graze at the top of Five's right arm. Turning her hands ninety degrees, Bea opened her palms and placed them over the flannel, squeezing her eyes shut.</p><p>Five's emerald eyes widened as her hands began to glow a soft orange; he could feel a tingling sensation within his arm - as if the very fabric of his being was stitching itself back together.</p><p>Bea opened her eyes once the feeling disappeared, removing her hands along with the (now dry) flannel.</p><p>"There," she said. "No more pain, no more blood."</p><p>The look on Five's face was priceless; Bea was incredibly tempted to take out her smartphone and take a picture but she wasn't sure she should risk the wrath of her somewhat unstable brother. "How did you do that?" the boy in question asked.</p><p>"I've always been able to heal lacerations - you know that." Bea replied, drawing her brows together.</p><p>Five cast his eyes down to the woman's hands, which were now in her lap. "Yes, on yourself. But on others? I-" he paused, realising the gravity of what he was about to say. "I never got to see that."</p><p>"Oh. Yeah. You're right."</p><p>The mood in the room dropped, as it always seemed to when the past was mentioned. Bea hated that - she was not going to allow her present to be as depressing as the last ten years had been. Five was the same; he was young again - kind of - and didn't want to waste the chance he had miraculously been given. Sure, he had to stop the world from ending to have the prospect of a 'future', but he may as well keep the bridges from burning.</p><p>"It was a bullet wound."</p><p>Bea looked up from her hands at her brother's confession. "You got shot? By who? Was it more men like from the restaurant?"</p><p>"Kind of. Two people in particular: Hazel and Cha Cha...don't ask about the names."</p><p>"Five," she began, "who are they really?"</p><p>"Highly skilled, trained assassins who will stop at nothing until I'm dead."</p><p>Bea could feel her heart rate quicken. <em>Gee, Five, could you be more blunt please??</em></p><p>"Right. Okay. I can see how that's a problem."</p><p>Suddenly, Five glanced at the clock on the wall, noticing the time. "Ah, shit!" he muttered, rushing to his feet. "I've gotta go, Bea, but," he smiled genuinely, placing a hand briefly on her shoulder, "thanks for healing me."</p><p>"Wait, Five-"</p><p>Before she could stop him, Five had grabbed a large duffel bag and was heading towards the window. As he clambered out, Bea followed, resting on the window sill safely from the inside. She caught sight of something, or some<em>o</em><em>n</em><em>e,</em> in the dumpster below. After overhearing a brief conversation between the figure and the descending Five, she realised it was Klaus - most likely looking for whatever he'd lost.</p><p>After Five had departed, she called out to Klaus. "Hey, Klaus!" He looked up at her mocking grin. "You find what you were looking for?"</p><p>"Oh, you bet! I mean...not yet."</p><p>"Well, keep trying, sweetheart, I believe in you!" With a wink, she ducked back inside, leaving the man to his own devices outside. <br/>As she did so, her thoughts were interrupted by a deep voice from the doorway.</p><p>"Where's Five?"</p><p>"Out, Luther," Bea responded, folding her arms across her chest as she faced the man behind her.</p><p>"Great," he muttered under his breath, but loud enough for the woman to hear. "Well, family meeting. Downstairs. Now."</p><p>With that, he left, not wanting to stick around for further conversation. "Asshole," Bea whispered to herself, begrudgingly following her least favourite family member.</p><p><b>--------------------------------------</b>-</p>
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<a name="section0013"><h2>13. t h i r t e e n</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The walk to the meeting place was silent, but full of tension. There was no interest on either Bea nor Luther's part to strike up a conversation; the two just didn't like each other. When seven-year-old Phoebe first joined the family she was shy, yet had every intention of becoming amicable with all of her new siblings. However, for some reason or another, one boy in particular decided very early on that this was not going to be the case - with him at least. This newcomer was not a part of their family, and she never really would be. He wouldn't allow it. He <em>couldn't </em>allow it. There was something about her that he didn't like. Ask him now, twenty odd years later, and he'd tell you it was a 'feeling'; something he didn't trust. A ludicrous and laughable reason to fill someone's childhood with bullying and degrading behaviour. On their trek through the Academy, Bea stayed a reasonable distance away from the mountain of a man.</p><p> When she entered the grand living room, Bea noticed that it was empty.</p><p>"Is this a joke?" she asked, folding her arms in front of her.</p><p>"We have to wait until everyone is here, Phoebe. It's important," came Luther's blunt reply. "Stay here, I need to go out and find Five."</p><p>Bea scoffed. "Good luck with that," she said, sarcasm lacing her tone. "I'll help-"</p><p>"No," Luther stated, speaking over the woman. "You need to stay here."</p><p>"You'll find him so much faster if I help - and you know it. Do you always have to be so damn stubborn?" Bea asked, beginning to become angry with the man's attitude towards her.</p><p>Luther didn't supply her with a response, merely deepening the scowl that permanently resided on his face whenever he was around her. He marched towards the Academy's foyer with purpose and gusto, long coat flowing out behind him.</p><p>Jogging slightly to keep up with his pace, Bea called out to him. "Luther! I'm helping whether you like it or not!"</p><p>"You want to help?" he bellowed, turning on his heel sharply as he reached the front doors, effectively stopping the woman in her tracks. "Then <em>stay here. </em>If Five comes back at least <em>someone </em>will be here."</p><p>"That is so pathetic-" Before Bea could finish her insult, Luther had wrenched the wooden doors open and slammed them behind him...right in her face. "<em>Stay here, Phoebe,</em>" Bea said, changing her voice to portray a mocking version of Luther's. "Dick."</p><p>
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</p><p>Just under an hour later, Bea heard commotion from upstairs. She had retreated back to her bedroom after Luther had left, putting her headphones on and trying to calm herself down with some of her favourite music. It had worked for the most part, but she had become bored from staring at the ceiling for so long. For the last ten or so minutes before the commotion, the music had been switched off and she had laid there, waiting. </p><p>Once the noise indicating the arrival of other people had entered her ears, she had jumped up from her place on the bed and raced up the stairs to the living room. When she passed through the doorway, she saw that nearly all of her family members were already there, minus a few. Five was evidently still absent. <em>Of course he didn't find him, </em>she thought, rolling her orange eyes. <em>Or at least, couldn't convince him to come back. </em>It appeared that Luther couldn't possibly get more incompetent in her eyes. Pogo and Grace were also missing, most likely off somewhere within the complex of the Academy. Perhaps they weren't even invited in the first place. </p><p>Recognizing that she was standing there with a frown on her face, Bea allowed herself  to relax and smile as soon as she spotted Klaus. She slowly made her way over to him, with plans to ask him whether or not he had found the mystery object he had been searching for. Klaus was neither sitting nor standing, choosing to recline slightly on the back of one of the large sofas. He was eating from a bag of crisps, making Bea realize that it had been a while since she had last eaten - though she'd had plenty of time to do so. Leaning, as Klaus did, on the sofa next to him, she nabbed one of the snacks from his stash; if he noticed he didn't say anything. </p><p>As she was about to ask Klaus her pre-determined questions, a voice booming from the end of the room cut her words from out of her mouth before they were ready. </p><p>"So, now that we're all here, Allison and I have something to show you." Luther gestured to the space by the bar; in front of the six of them was an old-school television set, like one that might be found in an early noughties school classroom. The image on the screen was grey-ed out and slightly fuzzy, but it appeared to show security camera footage.</p><p>"What is this, Luther?" Diego asked, gesturing his head towards the television.</p><p>"Just watch," Luther said, pressing the play button on the device.</p><p>The Hargreeves children watched in silence and the scene played out before them. Each processed the visual information in different ways, pulling faces of shock, disbelief or confusion. The silence remained for a good few minutes after the video had ended, plunging the room into an uncomfortable reticence. Finally, Vanya spoke up.</p><p>"I mean, do you really think Mom would hurt Dad?" she said, sheepishly.</p><p>Luther grimaced, facing his sister. "You haven't been home in a long time, Vanya." He turned, watching the television again as the video replayed. "Maybe you don't know Grace anymore."</p><p>"Oh, and you've been here the whole time, right? Not on the moon for four years?" Bea pointed out, obviously irritated by the man's behaviour and admittedly trying to rile him up. Klaus laughed, accidentally choking on the crisps in his mouth. Bea chuckled in response to this, patting him on the back and Diego joined in on the silent laughter.</p><p>"If he was poisoned, it would have shown in the coroner's report," Diego chipped in, once he was able to compose himself. There was no way that he could believe his mother had caused his father's death.</p><p>"Well, I don't need a report to tell me what I can see with my own eyes." Bea thought Luther's statement was ridiculous; though you could easily tell who the two figures were in the footage, there was no way that to confirm what was transpiring. The video was far too blurry for that.</p><p>Diego seemed to agree with Bea's internalised thoughts, picking up on her earlier dig on his brother. "Maybe all that low gravity in space messed with your vision." Stepping towards the television, his tone took on a more serious note. "Look closer." Bea stepped forward, moving to take a closer look as Diego continued. "Dad has his monocle. Mom stands up. Monocle's gone."</p><p>"Oh, yeah!" Klaus laughed.</p><p>"She wasn't poisoning him. She was..." He wandered around the group, detective style, ending up at the back by Klaus. "Taking it. To clean it!"</p><p>"Then where is it?" Luther asked, beginning to grow impatient. "No, I've searched the house, including all of her things. She doesn't have it."</p><p>Bea perked up at this comment, tired of people rooting around in things that didn't belong to them. "You <em>searched the house?" </em>she questioned, stepping towards Luther slightly. "What, did you go in all of our rooms?"</p><p>"I had to," he replied sternly, clinging onto any justifications he could muster. "I needed to find evidence-"</p><p>"And did you?" Bea asked, raising a dangerous eyebrow.</p><p>"No. I...couldn't find the monocle." The way in which he spoke told a story; a story of a boy who could never admit that he didn't achieve his goal. Not finding that monocle was as painful as being shot for Luther - admitting his failure wasn't any better.</p><p>Diego stopped, staring at the floor with a guilty expression. "That's because I took it from her. After the funeral."</p><p>"You've had the monocle this whole time?" Allison asked, shifting her body away from the pillar that she was resting on only moments before. She was angry, and it showed very clearly on her beautiful face. "What the hell, Diego?"</p><p>"Give it to me." Luther rushed forwards towards his brother, hand held out expectantly. </p><p>"I threw it away."</p><p>"You what?" Luther asked in disbelief whilst Allison scoffed, returning her drink to her lips.</p><p>"Look," Diego cut in, ready to defend himself. He held his hand out towards his brother; a hand which, unfortunately, was holding a sharp knife. "I knew that if you found it on Mom, you'd lose your shit - just like you're doing right now."</p><p>"Diego, you son of a bitch-"</p><p>The two brothers positioned themselves into a fighting stance, ready to kick the living daylights out of each other. Bea rolled her eyes as she watched them - an act that she was starting to associate closely with her family as of late. She moved to sit on the sofa to Luther's left, just as Vanya stood to break up the fight. Crossing one leg over the other in a nonchalant manner, the redhead watched the drama unfold. </p><p>"Hey," Vanya said, holding her hands out to both men. "Calm down." She waited for them to settle a bit before continuing. "Look, I know Dad wasn't exactly an open book, but I do remember one thing he said." The room's attention was on Vanya now, intrigued as to what her next words would be. "Mom was, well, designed to be a caretaker but...also as a protector."</p><p>"Yeah, she's right," Bea offered from where she was sat. "I remember hearing that."</p><p>"What does that mean?" Allison asked the two women.</p><p>Vanya looked over to her. "She was programmed to intervene if someone's life was in jeopardy."</p><p>Luther didn't look convinced. "Well, if her hardware is degrading, then-" he paused, choosing his next words carefully. "We need to turn her off."</p><p>His words were a catalyst, driving Diego over the edge. "Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, wait. She's not just a <em>vacuum cleaner </em>you can throw in a closet - she feels things, I've seen it!" he cried, genuine feeling pouring into his words. Bea completely understood her brother, and completely agreed with what was being said. Grace wasn't 'just a machine'; Bea knew how close Diego was with Grace and how instrumental she had been in his confidence as a child.</p><p>Of course, Luther saw things differently.</p><p>"She just stood there, Diego, and watched our father die."</p><p>"I'm with Luther," Allison decided.</p><p>Diego scoffed, half turning his body towards his sister. "Surprise, surprise," he muttered, his words not impressing Allison.</p><p>"Shut up," she sneered.</p><p>The brothers' eyes zeroed in on Vanya next. As the mediator of the argument, who she agreed with most was deemed important information. Vanya stuttered, not thrilled with the animosity-fuelled focus of attention. "I-I don't-"</p><p>"Yeah, she shouldn't get a vote," Diego declared. Bea glared at him, standing up from her comfortable position on the sofa. She stood next to Vanya, ready to defend her against her brother. Interestingly enough, seeing Vanya again after ten years of no contact had put her into a new light in Bea's eyes. This person, who was so lonely, so <em>ignored </em>as a child, had grown into a remarkable young woman. Her anxieties were still there; very prevalent in her nervous disposition and the fact that she had been seen popping medicated pills. However, Bea admired her courage at standing up for herself and her beliefs. There was no justifiable reason behind Diego's words.</p><p>"Wh-" Vanya began, "I was gonna say that I agree with you."</p><p>"Okay. She should get a vote." </p><p>Bea couldn't help but raise her eyebrow with a soft smirk. <em>Oh, so now she's included because she agrees with you, Diego? You never change.</em></p><p>"What about you, stoner boy?" he continued, spinning sharply towards Klaus who was casually leaning against one of the marble pillars. "What do you got?"</p><p>"Oh, so, what? You need my help now?" Klaus asked, looking peculiarly peeved at actually being included in the conversation. "Oh, 'get out of the van, Klaus!' 'Well, welcome back <em>to </em>the van.'"</p><p>"Van?" Bea asked, at the same moment as Allison asked: "What van?"</p><p>Luther shook his head, scoffing at Klaus' words. Bea noticed a flash of recognition cross over his face at the mention of the mysterious 'van', assuming that he must have been directly involved in whatever the prior situation was. "What's it gonna be, Klaus?" </p><p>"I'm with Diego, because screw you!" Klaus exclaimed, waving his crisp packet around. Diego pointed at the dark-haired man in thanks and recognition that, in his eyes, someone in the room had some sense. "And if Ben were here," Klaus continued, "he'd agree with me." After a beat, the man hissed to his right, confusing his siblings and Bea, who looked at him questioningly. Klaus returned her gaze and shrugged, acting as if nothing was amiss. This wasn't the first time he had spaced out, looked with awareness in another direction or acted shifty. The woman made a mental note to ask him about that later - though she had a sneaking suspicion she knew what was going on.</p><p>"Bea?" Her attention jolted to Diego, who was looking at her expectantly.</p><p>"Well-"</p><p>Her words were, once again, interrupted by Luther. "She doesn't get a vote in this. Grace wasn't her mom."</p><p>"Excuse me?" Bea rounded on the large man, crossing her arms and adopting a defensive stance. "Yes, she was!"</p><p>"Now isn't the time, Phoebe. This is actually important."</p><p>"So don't you think I should get a say?"</p><p>"Luther?" Allison questioned, frowning at him with bewilderment.</p><p>Bea scoffed, shifting her weight onto the other foot. "Be careful, Number One - your true colours are showing."</p><p>She knew this would happen. It always did with him. Whenever there was an 'important' decision, no matter how big or small, Luther would always ignore her opinion. On missions as 'The Umbrella Academy' kids, Bea would often see a solution instantly, coming up with a well-formulated plan that would use all of the members' skills equally and tactfully. However, as it was <em>her </em>that was coming up with the plan, it would get immediately vetoed by Number One. His plans were <em>always </em>better in his mind, using Bea's abilities in the least amount possible and his in the most. </p><p>Now that the family were (nearly) all together again, Bea knew that it was now or never to tell the others the truth. She may never get the chance again.</p><p>"Maybe we should clear the air, huh?" she began. <em>No going back now.</em></p><p>"We don't have time for this-"</p><p>"No, Luther, we do. You have <em>never </em>respected me, and I am so done with...with...you! You wanna tell them what really happened on our eighteenth birthday, or shall I?"</p><p>A flicker of recognition resided in Klaus' eyes at her final question. He remembered Bea mentioning something about their eighteenth birthday, but she brushed his question off and he never went back to it. Now, he'd be able to find out the truth.</p><p>"Don't be so childish," Luther chided.</p><p>"You once told me that I didn't belong in this family. You forced me to believe that was true. And for years, I felt like an outcast. Like I was pining over a family I never thought I could have! But you know what?" She laughed, as bitter sound emanating from her ruby lips. "You were wrong. I fit in more than <em>you </em>ever did." Bea jabbed a finger in his general direction. "So when you told me that everyone had grown tired of waiting for me to come back; that our father never 'mourned the loss of me'," a soft gasp came from Allison's direction, "I didn't believe you for a second. And when you kicked me out of <em>my </em>home, with nothing but the clothes on my back, I went out looking. Yeah, I gave up - that's on me. But I never gave up hope that <em>they," </em>she nodded to her family in the room, who were gaping with astonished expressions at her outburst, "still loved me." She paused, letting her words sink in. "You are not the leader of this family. You don't control me, or my involvement, or my general being. And for the record, Grace deserves every ounce of trust from us that we can give her. I'm with Diego."</p><p>On hearing his name, Diego stepped forward, dropping a hand on his sister's shoulder. "You're the reason we all lost contact with Bea?" he asked, disbelief present in his tone, but not overpoweringly so. He was gutted when he stopped hearing from his sister; in fact, Luther had told him that he'd overheard her saying she never wanted to come back. All lies, of course. "You said she didn't want to come back."</p><p>Bea looked at Diego over her shoulder and frowned. "He said what?"</p><p>"Yeah, Luther," Allison chipped in, confusion also gracing her features. "We all believed you."</p><p>Klaus laughed almost maniacally. "And it all comes to light!"</p><p>"You <em>really </em>are a sadistic asshole," Diego stated. He wanted to continue discussing this new revelation, but knew with Bea's vote that they could first conclude the situation regarding Grace. "Well, that's four votes to two."</p><p>"Wait," Allison said, "vote's not final yet."</p><p>"What?"</p><p>"Five's not here. The whole family has to vote. We owe each other that," Allison concluded.</p><p>"Even if he did vote, it wouldn't make a difference," Bea said.</p><p>"She's right," Klaus chipped in.</p><p>"No, we should wait," Vanya muttered, still reeling from Bea's confession.</p><p>The family began to depart from the living room, all of them away from the direction that Luther decided to take. They were all, understandably, disgusted by what they had heard - even Allison, who had always stood by the man when they were children. She would certainly be having words with him later.</p><p>Klaus had taken Bea by the arm, collecting his jacket from one of the larger sofas before dragging her away. She needed to vent more - that much was obvious. And now that their relationship was blossoming once again, he would be there for her. Always.</p><p>
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<a name="section0014"><h2>14. f o u r t e e n</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Klaus had directed Bea to his old bedroom, silently, gently guiding her by the arm. He could visibly see that she was upset - he would've had to have been blind not to. A few days prior, when Klaus had first heard any mention of an event on their eighteenth birthday, he hadn't paid two minds to it; he didn't feel the need to investigate further. Now, it must be said that he was pretty high on illegal 'medication' at that point in time so, naturally, went with the flow of conversation and didn't dwell. That, and he was excited about the prospect of trying to summon Reginald (and trying to impress Bea whilst doing so). Now, however, while his blood was most definitely not <em>clean</em>, he was less high than he had been in a very long time. He was far more receptive to social cues and could concentrate on being serious. He knew that was exactly what the silent redhead next to him needed right now.</p><p>On entering his room, Klaus released Bea from his grasp and moved himself to sit on his bed, back against the headboard and legs up. He patted the space next to him, inviting the woman to join. She complied in a heartbeat, delicately curling herself up next to him, laying her head against his chest. Klaus reached an arm around her shoulder, holding her tight to him as if she were merely a fragile doll, ready to break at any second. He knew this wasn't like her; if her words to Luther proved anything it was that she wasn't a delicate petal. She was showing this vulnerability to him and him alone, and it made him feel special. It made him feel wanted.</p><p>"You wanna talk about it, Red?" he asked once they were both comfortable, kissing the top of her head.</p><p>Bea stayed silent for a few seconds, leaving Klaus to wonder if all she really wanted was just to be held, to be comforted physically. But her reply soon came, quiet and muffled. "...Yes."</p><p>The man let out an almost inaudible sigh at her response. "I can't believe I didn't realise sooner," Klaus commented, leaning his head back and closing his eyes.  </p><p>Bea looked up at him, orange eyes wide in curiosity. All of the spiel she was ready to spill about Luther died on the tip of her tongue. "Realise what?"</p><p>Klaus opened his eyes, gazing into Bea's. "That Luther was a total liar."</p><p>Bea felt her breath hitch. Did Klaus' confession mean that he had believed her capable of tossing them all aside? Of ditching the boy she loved for a new life of independence and solidarity?</p><p>"I never really believed him," the man continued, looking up at the ceiling, his words somewhat reassuring to the woman in his arms. "I mean, the Bea I knew would never leave us all behind unless something incredibly <em>heinous </em>had happened." He sighed, unaware that Bea's heart rate was spiking. "His first mistake was telling us that <em>you'd</em> contacted <em>him</em>. Like, yeah right!" He chuckled, though there wasn't much warmth behind it. "I knew how much you hated him. The others didn't but...I knew."</p><p>Bea continued to gaze at his face, taking in his features with sad eyes due to their close proximity. "I'm sorry." </p><p>Klaus' face morphed in disbelief. "Why are <em>you </em>sorry?"</p><p>"I don't-"</p><p>"Doesn't matter; it's hardly your fault. Look," he started, contorting his body awkwardly to face hers. "You didn't come back after the two weeks like you said you would, and that's a fact!" He continued to stare at her guilty face. "But there was obviously a reason, right?"</p><p>She remained silent. There was a reason. An exceptionally large reason. An incredibly abominable reason. And she knew she had to tell him. If there was one person in that house that <em>deserved </em>to know the truth, it was Klaus. "...Yes. But when I tell you, you'll never look at me the same way again." She was crying now, eyes filling up with tears that were ready to cascade down her face like a waterfall.</p><p>"Shh," he comforted her, catching the tears with his thumb as they fell. "Please don't cry." He hadn't missed her use of the word 'when' over 'if'. She was going to tell him. Klaus would be lying if he said he wasn't filled with anxiety at what her next words would be, but either way he wanted to know. "Whatever it is, I can handle it!"</p><p>Bea took a deep breath, readying herself for the point of no return. <em>This is it, </em>she thought, <em>here we go.</em> "Do you remember why I left in the first place?"</p><p>"Yeah, you went to find your birth mother!"Klaus exclaimed.</p><p>"That's right. Well," she took another deep breath, "I found her. It took me longer than I thought it would but...eventually I tracked her down."</p><p>Klaus was still staring into Bea's eyes, his intensity slightly unnerving but not wholly unwelcome. "Then what happened?"</p><p>"You see, I, um..." And so, Bea told him. Told him all about how she had to work up the nerve to ring the doorbell. About how the woman hadn't recognized her own daughter at first; but once she did she had slammed the door in her child's face. How after a few seconds Bea had burst through the door to the company of her mother and her mother's new husband, demanding answers. </p><p>How after a mere few hours, only one soul had left that house alive.</p><p>It was heartbreaking to Klaus to see how much the memories were hurting Bea. Recalling them was like living the horror story all over again. His emerald eyes had widened dramatically during the fifteen-or-so minutes it took for her to complete her tale, his eyebrows raised to the heavens. But not once had he loosened his grip on her. Not once had he felt repulsed. </p><p>Once she had finished speaking, she was a blubbering mess. He wrapped his strong arms even tighter around her frame, cocooning her close as he placed a firm kiss against her hair. "God, Bea, I-I don't know what to say."</p><p>"Say that I'm a monster!" came her strangled response. She was pleading with him, begging him for ratification of what she clearly thought about herself. </p><p>Klaus could never do that, though. He pulled away abruptly at her answer and grabbed her roughly by the face, a hand on either cheek. "Now, you listen to me, Phoebe!" Her tear soaked eyes bore into his as they widened, not used to this authoritative side to him, let alone his use of her full name. "What happened wasn't your fault - and don't you try to disagree with me." He had shut her protests down before they even had a chance to bloom. "I've done some things in my life that I'm not proud of; you don't even need to hear what they are to know they were <em>not </em>good. But you...you came back after all of that. <em>Strong</em>. After what Luther did to you I'm just so, " he paused, swallowing and pushing himself to get the words out. "So glad that you didn't do anything drastic." His eyes were tearing up too - his mind running wild at the possibility of Bea taking her own life.</p><p>"Klaus-" He let go of her face, crushing her to his body once more. "How can you not be disappointed in me? Or disgusted?" Bea asked incredulously, clinging to his shirt.</p><p>"I could never be disappointed in you, or disgusted." His words echoed hers, given previously to him. Klaus' aim wasn't to be cheesy or cliché, but to show her that he was <em>there</em>. That he was always ready and willing to listen, no matter what state he was in.</p><p>A beat passed, the two of them lapsing into a comfortable silence.</p><p>"I love you, Klaus," Bea said, the words meaning more now then they ever had before.</p><p>"Love you too, Red," Klaus mirrored; and he meant it.</p><p>
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</p><p>They lay together for a long time, the sky darkening around them outside. At some point, Bea had fallen asleep; it had been a very emotionally overwhelming day for her. Klaus hadn't allowed himself to nap, knowing that the forces of the dead would cloud his senses, and he couldn't face that - let alone wake up the sleeping woman in his arms. He decided that he would take a bath to cleanse his body and mind. Klaus was also beginning to relapse; the shame of taking drugs in front of her was more than he could shoulder. Carefully slipping his arm out from underneath Bea, he maneuvered himself off of the bed and headed towards the bathroom, stopping momentarily along the way to pick up his 'cigarettes' from the bedside table, before pulling the door closed behind him.</p><p>Unbeknownst to the residents of the Academy, two darkened figures were making their way towards the insignia-blazoned front doors, full of malicious intent. </p><p>
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</p><p>Bea dreamed of nothing as she slept. This tended to happen on the days that she cried herself to sleep; of which there had been many in the past. Though not an incredibly deep sleeper, it did take a great level of noise to rouse her from her slumber. For instance: a loud crash, sirens wailing in the distance, or gunshots. <em>Gunshots?</em></p><p>Her eyes flew open, pupils dilated within her orange orbs. Not thinking twice about it, she flew up from her position on Klaus' bed and ran towards the door, yanking it open. As she stood in the doorway, she had milliseconds to take in the scene before her. Diego was wrestling with a man in a blue mask shaped like, what Bea could only guess to be, a bear. Another figure stood crouched before them, between Bea and her brother. This figure could've been a woman from their petite frame, but the redhead couldn't be sure from her current angle. This figure's mask was pink, with black strips hanging down from each side. <em>A dog?</em></p><p>"Cha-Cha, shoot him!" The bear-masked figure cried.</p><p>"Get out of the way, dumbass," came the reply.</p><p>Typically, when someone has just awoken from a deep sleep, their mind isn't instantaneously ready to work at full capacity. Bea was fully aware of the danger surrounding her, but still did not have the sense to keep herself from crying out: "'Cha-Cha'?"</p><p>On hearing her name from a foreign voice, Cha-Cha ceased her fire on Diego and spun around on her heels, shooting haphazardly towards Klaus' bedroom. Bea ducked back behind the door frame, pressing herself up against the wall and trying to come up with a quick 'try-not-to-die' strategy. Throwing her gaze around the room, she saw a lava lamp on Klaus' desk. She grabbed it with both hands, throwing it with as much force as she could muster against the wall. It shattered, spraying its contents throughout the room. Bea called the liquid to her, praying to whatever gods were out there that there was some element of water in the desk ornament. Luck was on her side that evening, it seemed, as a considerable amount of liquid accumulated in her hands. Forming a shield in front of herself by holding her left hand out, palm forwards, Bea felt the remaining liquid elongate in her right hand into the shape of a baseball bat. </p><p>Her aim wasn't to kill the intruders; from one name alone she knew who they were. <em>Hazel and Cha-Cha. </em>Two futuristic assassins on the hunt for Five. <em>That must be why they're here! </em>She realized. Her blood was boiling. No, she didn't want to kill them. She would, however, beat them senseless to the point of paralysis if she could.</p><p>Bea advanced, stepping out of the sanctuary of the bedroom and into a hail of bullets, unaffected by the weapon's bite. Although the mask successfully hid the true emotions of her attacker, Bea knew she had shocked them.</p><p>"She's a freak, like Five!" cried Cha-Cha, backing up as the water-bender advanced.</p><p>"Diego, run!" Bea called out to her brother.</p><p>Diego did not need to be told twice. Delivering a swift kick to Hazel's stomach, he fled from the intruders, hauling his body over the upstairs banister and onto the safety of the couch below. Hazel recovered quickly, pursuing the leather-clad man with haste. </p><p>Cha-Cha, on the other hand, was still concentrating on Bea, firing more and more rounds from her heavy-duty machine gun. Bea's shield, however, was still holding firm, allowing her to steadily advance. Bea waited until her assailant had exhausted her rounds before dropping her shield, placing both hands on her aquatic bat, and swinging it with incredible force at Cha-Cha's head. The sound that rang out was metallic and, although the strike only stunned her enemy for a moment, it gave her enough time to run towards the Academy's foyer. </p><p>Following her brother, Bea made it into the living room, dashing through the room to the couch that Diego was hiding behind. She threw herself next to him, breathing heavily.</p><p>"You wanna tell me how you know these guys?" he whispered harshly.</p><p>Bea said nothing, instead lifting her index finger to her lips and waving her other hand in order to shut him up. Now was not the time for discussion. Moments later, bullets rained down again. Diego dragged his sister towards him, covering her body with his. The both of them clenched their eyes shut; Bea covered her ears against the noise.</p><p>The fight continued around them, with Luther and Allison joining the fray. Once the bullets had redirected from the couch, Bea and Diego popped out from behind it, rushing to overwhelm the masked assassins and gain the upper hand, all while helping their siblings. All animosity between Luther and Bea had been put aside for the time being; there was no place for it when they were currently fighting for the same thing. </p><p>Bea gathered water together in her glowing palms, creating a large orb the size of a globe. She hurled this at Cha-Cha, successfully hurtling the woman out of the room. Meanwhile, Luther had easily picked up Hazel and sent his flying towards his partner. </p><p>"Who the hell are these guys?" Allison asked, anxiety and adrenaline fueling her system.</p><p>"You're welcome," Luther said, to Bea's incredulity, ignoring Allison's question.</p><p>"We were doing fine," Diego shouted back.</p><p>"Oh, yeah, you really had them-"</p><p>"Ever hear of a rope-a-dope?"</p><p>Their mini argument was cut short as the two assailants rejoined them, the pink-masked one firing her gun in quick succession.</p><p>"Get out of here now! Go!" Luther roared, gathering Allison with him as he ran. Bea followed after them, only realizing that Diego wasn't with them when it was too late. Luther split off, aiming to distract the larger of the two assassins, leaving Allison and Bea to flee downstairs with Cha-Cha in hot pursuit. </p><p>The two women fled towards the basement kitchen, ducking behind the pool table and out of sight. As Cha-Cha stalked around the room, Allison grabbed a pool cue, motioning for her sister to do the same. Bea shook her head silently, instead using water from a vase next to her to create a blunt mace; something heavy that would really pack a punch. They nodded to each other, conformation that they were ready for the fight.</p><p>Allison swung her pool cue underneath the table, tripping Cha-Cha and causing her to drop her gun. As the makeshift weapon broke, Allison scooted away, uncertain of what to do now that she had lost her weapon. The downed assassin collected the broken pieces and stood, advancing on Allison who was left to defend herself with her arms. She was swiftly smacked in the face, causing her to fall onto the dining table. </p><p>As Bea was about to make her move in retaliation, Diego sauntered in. "You wanna rumour this psycho?" he asked.</p><p>"I don't need to," Allison replied, "because this bitch just pissed me off." She swung around, readying herself into a fight stance.</p><p>"We just want the boy," Cha-Cha stated.</p><p>"Oh, well, in that case." The two women fought, evenly matched, until Allison was kicked in the head, rendering her out of the battle.</p><p>Bea saw this as her opportunity, springing up from her hiding place and rushing towards her enemy. She swung her mace, catching Cha-Cha on the arm as Diego approached from the other side. The two of them attacked - but their opposition was too skilled in defensive maneuvers. </p><p>Suddenly, Cha-Cha made a break for the door, and Bea was left confused. Allison rejoined her siblings, presenting her brother with a knife that she had found; she was certainly not willing to let the fleeing woman escape unscathed. "Get her, " she growled.</p><p>Diego obliged, curving the throw of the knife to meet its intended target. If the grunt of pain that followed was anything to go by, it had succeeded.</p><p>The three of them followed the woman out of the room towards the main foyer. On arrival, though, she was nowhere in sight. Instead, the group was met with the sight of Luther, sprawled out on the ground and groaning in pain.</p><p>"Luther!" Allison screamed, moving to help him up. "Come on, Luther, get up."</p><p>Diego aided her, grabbing his brother by the arm. "You gotta cut down on that fast food, soldier."</p><p>Bea stood nearby, gazing up at the dog mask peering down at them from above. The other three followed her line of sight, noticing the figure for a split second before the chandelier came plunging down towards them.</p><p>"Get out of the way!" Luther shoved Allison and Diego aside to safety; Diego coincidentally taking Bea with him. The chandelier fell, crushing Luther beneath its considerable weight and smashing on top of him. Allison let out a cry, fearful that something terrible had just happened to him.</p><p>Luther, however, was fine and not prepared to stay down for long. Grunting, he wrenched himself to his feet, unfortunately ripping his shirt as he went. </p><p>The atmosphere of the room became deathly silent. Bea's jaw hung open from the shock of what she was witnessing before her eyes. <em>Is that...fur?</em> "What are you?" she couldn't help but ask.</p><p>No response came as Luther pushed past Diego, retreating up the grand staircase. The room stayed silent for a few moments longer, each person trying to piece together the events of the last ten minutes. Bea looked around at the destruction, shaking her head as thought popped into it.</p><p>"Guys," she started. "Has anyone seen Klaus?"</p><p>
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<a name="section0015"><h2>15. f i f t e e n</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <b>*Present day - The motel*</b>
</p><p>"Number Five, where is he?" Cha-Cha demanded answers from the kidnapped man as she choked him, garrote digging further and further into his pale neck as she did so. This was her preferred method of interrogation; after some general physical damage of course. She tightened her grip on the cord as she heard a strangled 'stop' leave her victim's lips. Oh, she would stop all right - once she had the answers she sought. Her partner stood behind the chair he had strapped the Hargreeves man into, anxiously awaiting information that would prove useful in tracking down their real target.</p><p>What neither of them expected to see, however, was Klaus' 'enjoyment' of his current predicament.</p><p>"I'm almost <em>there</em>," he grunted, heaving out a breath.</p><p>"Is that a-" Cha-Cha asked incredulously, glancing downwards.</p><p>"Yep," Hazel responded simply, not believing what his eyes were seeing.</p><p>The female assassin instantly released her grip, moving away from Klaus' chair with disgust written clearly on her hardened face. Hazel took a step back too, running a hand through his hair in distress. Their usual methods were not working on this <em>psychopath.</em></p><p>Klaus felt an immediate rush of air enter his lungs as the instrument was removed. He coughed, his throat sore from being constricted for so long. He wasn't in pain though. In fact...it was the opposite. "Oh!" he cried in rapture. "Ah, there's nothing like a little <em>stranglin</em>' to get the blood flowing, am I right?"</p><p>By this point, both assassins had taken a seat on their respective beds within their motel room - Cha-Cha held her head in one palm and Hazel rested his elbows on his knees. On hearing Klaus' seemingly ridiculous admission, Hazel stood up, knocking his victim round the head with his hand; and not afraid to do so with some force. "What is so funny, you asshole?" he asked.</p><p>Well," Klaus began, mumbling at first, "for one you spent the last ten hours beating me senseless; and you've learned absolutely nothing. I mean, nobody tells me shit!" He chuckled, though not entirely sincerely - his laughter was fueled by his current high and his hidden nervousness. "The truth is, I'm the <em>one </em>person in that house nobody will even notice is gone," he lied. Klaus knew that, although his siblings may not immediately think to look for him, Bea would. They were so comfortable with each other now; particularly after Bea's confession. She was capable of much more than he ever thought possible - and not just what happened to her mother and kind-of-step-father. She had carried the burden of what she had done for ten years, never telling another soul and living with the conception that she was a 'monster'. It was baffling to Klaus that <em>that </em>particular situation had haunted Bea. They were both a part of the Umbrella Academy. They had both been sent on numerous missions that dealt with criminals and evil beings. They had both maimed and killed. The only explanation that he could fathom was that this was her <em>mother</em>. Bea was a late addition to the Hargreeves family; she had been raised by that woman for seven years of her life! And yet...that woman had also abandoned her crying child on a rainy night by chaining her to a wealthy man's fence. Klaus' drug-riddled brain was not in the right frame of mind to comprehend all of this as he was constrained to an uncomfortable chair. He would have to ask Bea for further clarification later. If he ever got out of that motel room, of course.</p><p>"You assholes kidnapped the wrong guy!" Klaus cried, laughing maniacally.</p><p>Hazel stood once again, repeating his previous attack on Klaus' head. "Please make him stop talking," he asked his partner, patience wearing <em>very </em>thin.</p><p>"Let's waterboard him," Cha-Cha decided quickly. Her patience was also wearing thin, but she had a lot more constraint than her male counterpart. The two of them enacted their torture, hoping that they would finally be able to extract some semblance of information from the involuntary pawn in their game. Their desired result, however, was still miles out of grasp.</p><p>"Oh, I needed that," Klaus gasped, sucking water from the cloth on his face. "I was so <em>parched. </em>Thank you! Thank you."</p><p>Hazel turned quickly on his heels, throwing an exasperated hand up into the air. "Come on!"</p><p>"Somebody out there is dumb enough to miss your sorry ass," Cha-Cha declared, pointing her finger directly into Klaus' face. "And I'm gonna found out who."</p><p>
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</p><p>
  <b>*Last night - The Academy*</b>
</p><p>"Guys, has anyone seen Klaus?"</p><p>The Hargreeves siblings were still reeling from not only the unannounced attack on the Academy, but also the revelation that Luther wasn't exactly <em>human </em>anymore. Bea's words didn't hold much resonance within their minds, though the implication of them should have been held in much higher regard. Diego was spaced out, staring towards the upper balcony. In a matter of seconds he was gone, following in his brother's footsteps as he fled up the grand staircase.</p><p>Vanya was positioned in the doorway, brown eyes locked onto Allison's form as she approached and nervously anticipating the conversation that was surely to follow.</p><p>Bea's heart was racing a mile a minute as she stood in the centre of the room, by the decimated chandelier. Realising that she was being ignored, she concluded that she alone would be tasked with searching for the missing man. In the blink of an eye, she dashed towards Klaus' bedroom, reaching it, with impressive speed, in under a minute. Throwing the door back open from where it had previously swung closed after her abrupt exit, she raked her wide, orange eyes across the room. It was a mess; there were shards of broken glass everywhere from the lava lamp and bullet holes graced the back wall. The redhead didn't give herself much time to take all of that in, however, as she noticed the man she was searching for was not present. She headed towards the bathroom next, in hopes that he may have been hiding out in there during the ambush.</p><p>He was not.</p><p>The bath was full of water, now cold, but there were no signs of Klaus. Bea ran from room to room, calling out to her missing...'boyfriend'? Is that what he was? The two of them had declared their love for each other but hadn't yet put a label on their relationship. That was a conversation that she would have with Klaus when she found him.</p><p>Her manic searching was in vain; Klaus was nowhere to be seen. "Fuck!" she screamed, short and curt.</p><p>Racing back to the foyer, Bea noticed that her siblings, too, were missing. Having heard her sister's ragged breathing, Allison leaned over the upper balcony and called down, sadness and agony lacing her tone. "Phoebe - you need to see this."</p><p>"What is it?" she snapped.</p><p>"Just...get up here." Allison moved away from the bannister and out of sight, leaving her sister with no choice but to join her.</p><p>Sensing that something was amiss, Bea swiftly made her way upstairs. She immediately stopped in her tracks when she saw what the fuss was about. She gasped softly, drawing her hands to her mouth as tears flooded her eyes.</p><p>Her mother was dead.</p><p>
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</p><p>
  <b>*Present day - The motel*</b>
</p><p>The assault had continued, not letting up in the least. Klaus was holding out strong; no amount of physical torture would ever make him betray his family. Admittedly, he had two weaknesses: his addiction to drugs and...Bea. Luckily, the two assassins had no awareness of either. Or so he thought.</p><p>"Okay, fine!" he cried, watching in horror as his tormentors tore into his secret stash of marijuana-infused chocolate. "Okay, I don't-I don't know where Five is; I wasn't lying about that! But I can tell you that he hasn't been making much sense since he came back." Klaus was ashamed of himself for breaking so easily, especially after almost twelve hours of continuous abuse. </p><p>"Elaborate."</p><p>"I-" He had to be careful with the words that he spoke. It wasn't like he was going to give much away - just enough to get Hazel and Cha-Cha to back off for a while. Satiate their incessant need for knowledge about his brother. "He's just been acting like a <em>lunatic</em>. He's been sitting in this van in front of a-a lab, or something, and looking for the owner of an eyeball. One of those fake ones."</p><p>"That makes no sense," Hazel supplied, even more confused now with information than he was before without.</p><p>"Hold on, just hold on," Cha-Cha cut in. "Tell us more about this eye, and why it's so important."</p><p> Klaus sighed dramatically, crying as he talked. "He said it had something to do with the end of times, or something."</p><p>
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</p><p>
  <b>*Last night - The Academy*</b>
</p><p>"What happened?" Bea finally managed to ask, once she had calmed down from the initial shock.</p><p>"Diego said he found her like this. Those two psychopaths must have done this to her," Allison informed her, a frown permanently residing on her pretty face. The four siblings were gathered around their robotic mother, taking in the sight of her lifeless eyes and the severed wires sticking out of her left arm.</p><p>"Well. You got what you wanted," Bea offered, not removing her gaze from Grace. "They switched her off. You must be..." It took her a moment to search for the right word. "Glad."</p><p>Allison fixed her sister with a disbelieving glare. "'Glad'? How could you even entertain the thought that I would be 'glad' about this?"</p><p>"Must I repeat myself?" Bea asked, dragging her eyes over to Allison.</p><p>"What is the matter with you?" Allison all but shouted. This was not the Phoebe Hargreeves that she thought she knew.</p><p>"We just got attacked in our own home. Klaus and Five are missing which, by the way, no one seems to care about. Mom is <em>dead </em>and Luther-" Bea cut herself of with a humourless chuckle. "Just when I thought this family could maybe be fixed, it all goes to shit!"</p><p>"Calm down, Bea!" Diego instructed, taking a step towards his sister.</p><p>"'Calm down'? Really?" She gestured at Grace. "You're okay with this?"</p><p>"Of course I'm not," came his strong reply. The truth behind his words was strong. He was, after all, the one who had made the harrowing decision to switch his mother's life off. His siblings could never know.</p><p>The redhead took a deep breath, shielding her eyes with her hand. She took another deep breath as she removed her hand, looking Diego in the eye. "I'm sorry, it wasn't fair of me to ask you that."</p><p>"It's okay."</p><p>"Allison, I'm so sorry-"</p><p>"Tensions are high," Allison cut in, "I get it." She placed a reassuring hand on Bea's shoulder, offering her a small smile.</p><p>"Who were those people?" Vanya asked, breaking her silence.</p><p>Allison turned her gaze away from Bea, dropping her hand. "I don't know. But we are lucky to be alive."</p><p>"Bea knows." </p><p>The three women's heads snapped to Diego, on hearing his statement. "What?" Allison asked.</p><p>"Bea knows who they are. Don't you, Bea?"</p><p>"I- no. I-I-I don't," she stammered, lying through her teeth. She knew who they were, but  her immediate reaction was to lie, for reasons unbeknownst to her.</p><p>Diego stood firm, his gaze accusatory and unwavering. "Then explain how you knew one of their names."</p><p>He had her there. Thinking back to an hour prior, Bea remembered that the first thing she uttered after exiting Klaus' room was Cha-Cha's name. "I-"</p><p>"Well?" Diego challenged.</p><p>"Hazel and Cha-Cha," she relented, throwing her gaze to the ground. Looking back up at her siblings, she expanded. "They're after Five, but I don't know why - I swear!"</p><p>Diego wasn't entirely convinced by her answer. Taking a few menacing steps towards her, he lowered his voice to a growl. "You expect us to believe that? You spend enough time with Five-"</p><p>"I don't know why! They're assassins, and they want to kill Five, but - I. Don't. Know. Why. You have to believe me."</p><p>Diego stared hard into his sister's eyes, softening at her puppy-like expression. She wasn't lying. He believed her. "Okay, I believe you."</p><p>"Thank you."</p><p>"Maybe you should have warned us about the possibility of an attack on the Academy, Bea," Allison said, light enough to assure her sister that she wasn't accusing her of anything.</p><p>Truthfully, with all that had been going on over the past couple of days, Bea hadn't really kept on top of the whole 'keeping your family updated' thing. <em>She </em>knew that Hazel and Cha-Cha were after Five, but hadn't considered the idea that others should know too, just in case. "Maybe," was all she offered in reply.</p><p>"Those of us that were here when it happened are okay; that's all that matters."</p><p>While the other two women gave Vanya a nod in agreement, Diego's softened face turned harsh. "What are you even still doing here?" he barked.</p><p>"I-I'm just trying to help." Vanya was unsure as to why her brother had begun to attack her. She knew that Diego wasn't her biggest fan; his words and mannerisms around her displayed that very clearly. However, after what they had all just been through together, Vanya didn't really think it was an appropriate time.</p><p>"No," he disagreed,  "you could've been killed. Or gotten any of us killed." Removing his eyes from Vanya, he faced his other sisters. "She is a liability."</p><p><em>Ouch, Diego, </em>Bea thought. A liability? She wasn't sure that a more degrading word could've left his lips.</p><p>"Allison?" Tears were beginning to gather in Vanya's eyes.</p><p>"I think what he's trying to say is that this kind of stuff is dangerous. You're just-"</p><p>"Not like you." Vanya didn't bother to ask for Bea's opinion; it wouldn't help. She shook her head, turning on her heels and making her way towards the Academy's exit. </p><p>Allison was mortified, realising that her words had been taken out of context. "No, that's not what I- Vanya, wait!"</p><p>"Let her go. It's for the best."</p><p>Bea was appalled at her brother's behaviour. His attitude towards life and his family was consistently tumultuous. One moment he was warm and kind, the brother she remembered. The next, he was cold and cruel, words bitter and biting and said with the sole purpose of causing emotional damage. She did not like this Diego. "Was that necessary?"</p><p>"What did she do to help, Bea, huh?"</p><p>Folding her arms across her chest, she sighed, raising an eyebrow. "That's not the point and you know it-"</p><p>"So you agree?"</p><p>"No. She has no powers."</p><p>"Exact-"</p><p>Bea wasn't going to allow Diego to interrupt her this time. "And yet, she put herself in the direct line of fire to protect us." She shrugged. "If that's not brave, I don't know what is."</p><p>An uncomfortable silence washed over them. Somewhere deep, deep inside him, Diego knew that Bea was right. He was unwilling to admit this, though, so continued to stand his ground, eyes now resting on Grace once again. Once she saw his gaze shift, Bea followed it, resting her eyes on her adoptive mother as well. </p><p>Allison was the one to break the tension. "I need to go and tell Luther about Mom. He needs to know." Her siblings merely nodded, leaving her to make her way alone.</p><p>Once Allison had disappeared, Bea took the opportunity to have a heart-to-heart with Diego. "Should we move her?" Looking up, she noticed the tears beginning to pool in her brother's dark eyes. "Diego?"</p><p>"Yeah."</p><p>She placed her hand tentatively on his arm, moving her thumb in a comforting way. "It'll be okay, you know? Maybe we can fix her."</p><p>"M-Mom's dead, B-Bea. She's not c-coming back." He sniffed, allowing himself to show a sliver of vulnerability. In adulthood, Diego had hardened in character, gaining confidence in all aspects of life. In childhood, he was a sensitive soul who was often nervous about impending missions. Bea had caught him crying on multiple occasions, but had never told any of the others, effectively earning his trust and friendship. With her absence over the past ten years, Diego hadn't had anyone in his life that he could show this hidden, vulnerable side to. Her comforting tone, even after the way he had just spoken to her, involuntarily opened the floodgates.</p><p>Bea said nothing, fearing that she would burst into tears if she did. Instead, she pulled the taller man into a hug, holding him as tightly as she could. He held her back with just as much need, letting a tear roll down his tanned cheek.</p><p>She needed to find Klaus. She needed to find Five. And she needed to fix her family, if it was the last thing she did.</p><p> <b>----------------------------------</b></p>
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<a name="section0016"><h2>16. s i x t e e n</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>It had been an emotional afternoon, that much could be said for certain. A magnitude of truths had come to light and the Hargreeves siblings were processing them in different ways.</p><p>After the discovery of their deceased mother and his conversation with Bea, Diego had left the Academy to find an ounce of solace with an old flame, briefly muttering goodbye to his sister as he went. Allison, too, had disappeared without a trace.</p><p>Bea had seen Diego off before wandering through the Academy's halls, recalling all of the past events and mistakes that had led her up to this specific moment in time; she was bitter, angry, sad and at a loss of what her next move should be. She didn't want to stick around Grace any longer than she had to; the sight of her adoptive mother's lifeless eyes was enough to squeeze all of the breath from her slender body. On top of that, Luther was up on the balcony and Bea couldn't face <em>him </em>again just yet. </p><p>After a little while, she wound up in her old bedroom which had been tidied to a spotless standard after the atypical anomaly that was Five's appearance a few days prior - no doubt cleaned by Grace. Bea hurried over to her wardrobe, wrenching it open and peering inside. Changing into a fresh set of clothes would no doubt help reset her mind, and she desperately needed to clear her head. The wardrobe was a well-stocked piece of furniture; the consequence of her forced and involuntarily permanent exit ten years ago.</p><p>Grabbing a turtleneck sweater and a pair of jeans, the redhead threw them on and immediately reveled in their comfort. She collapsed onto her bed, staring at the ceiling and allowing the weight of the world to fall suddenly as tears from her orange eyes. </p><p>Sobs wracked Bea's body in unending waves, forcing her to curl in on herself as she lay there. She wanted to curse the world, curse whatever gods may be out there for imposing such hell upon herself and her family. <em>What did I ever do to deserve this? </em>She wanted to scream but the words simply wouldn't come out. <em>Let the world end for all I fucking care. What has it ever done for me? </em></p><p>Her eyes sprang open. She sat up. "<em>What has the world ever done for me?</em>" she repeated, whispering aloud this time. "Oh, I don't know...it only gave me the love of my life, four siblings whom I cherish, and a second chance!" Leaping to her feet, Bea wiped her eyes with her sleeve, looked in her vanity mirror, and delivered a sharp slap across her right cheek. "Get it together, Phoebe Hargreeves!" Staring at her reflection she continued, muttering to herself. "I need a plan; find Five, find those bitch assassins, find Klaus and save the world from total annihilation. Easy." Moving to the doorway, Bea glanced out into the hall. Memories of all the times she had previously exited her bedroom after the Umbrella Academy had received a mission flashed before her eyes. That's all this boiled down to, after all: a mission. "Let's do this."</p><p>
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</p><p>The first place Bea thought to start was Five's bedroom, where not too long ago she had seen him climb out of the window with a large duffel bag strapped to his back. If there were <em>any </em>clues to his whereabouts, they would be in that room. She entered, calmly, and began her search on his small desk before moving throughout the room; there was no point in rushing around and frantically throwing objects - she wouldn't find anything that way.</p><p>Not ten minutes after her careful search began, which so far had resulted in zero finds, Bea heard two recognisable voices carrying themselves towards her location.</p><p>"Master Luther; Master Five has not been seen in this house for a few days!"</p><p>"I know that, Pogo!"</p><p>The woman rolled her eyes, leaning her head back and scoffing. <em>Of course Luther wants to bulldoze in on my investigation. </em></p><p>The bedroom door creaked on its hinges as it swung open, with more force than necessary. Luther strode in, filling the doorway as he did so. Behind him Pogo, relying on his cane more now as a result of the speed he needed to match, stumbled in after him. The giant of a man was shocked to see Bea standing in the room already; he furrowed his eyebrows and stared her down in an attempt to be intimidating. What he clearly didn't realise, however, was that ship had sailed a long time ago. "Bea? What are <em>you </em>doing here?" he growled.</p><p>Bea stood straight, folding her arms across her chest and raising a challenging eyebrow back at him. After her breakdown earlier that day, Bea had decided once and for all that she just didn't have the motivation or energy to be constantly pissed off with Luther anymore. Seeing his vulnerability after the fight in the foyer - the way her family had looked after seeing what he had become - had made her feel jubilant. She was <em>allowed </em>to feel happiness at his clear distress and nothing could convince her otherwise. Her new plan of action was to keep herself from getting irritated by irritating him instead. He always thought she was childish - so she'd live up to his expectation of her.</p><p>"Oh, I'm thinking of re-decorating. It's a bit dated in here, don't you think?" she joked, sadistic smile plastered on her pretty face. Before Luther could supply a comeback, Bea spoke again. "Obviously I'm looking for clues to help find Five," she concluded, muttering a soft <em>dumb-ass</em> under her breath. "He could be in danger. And if we find Five then we have a much better chance at finding Klaus."</p><p>Luther seemed outwardly unperturbed by her comments, but underneath it all Bea could tell his blood was boiling. It only made her want to smile wider. "Well move," Luther commanded, stomping towards her. She backed up, turning to sit cross-legged on Five's bed.</p><p>"You won't find anything," she said in a sing-song manner. "I've been looking for ten minutes." </p><p>"Yeah, well, that was you," Luther replied, his tone degrading.</p><p>By this point, Pogo had moved to stand behind Luther and next to the bed that Bea was comfortably perched on. He sighed, shaking his head. This behaviour between the two Hargreeves children was nothing new to the old ape.</p><p>"Shit!" Bea exclaimed holding a palm to her forehead. "I'm sorry; I forgot you now have a super-duper sense of smell! Does it make it more difficult to constantly be around yourself?"she laughed. This innovative new way of dealing with her least favourite family member was working out incredibly well; she'd never enjoyed herself so much around Luther before. Luther ignored her, continuing to rummage around in the desk drawers.</p><p>"Like I said, Master Luther," Pogo chipped in, tired of the petty attitudes filling the room. "Number Five hasn't lived in this room since he was a boy."</p><p>"Yeah, I know, but we need to warn him."</p><p><em>At least you're capable of doing something selfless, </em>Bea thought to herself.</p><p>"He doesn't even know we were attacked," Luther continued. "He doesn't know they're looking for him, he doesn't know-"</p><p>"What are you doing here?" A new voice entered the fray, this time belonging to Diego, who had returned from his momentary departure.</p><p>Bea smiled, partly because she was happy to see her brother, but partly also because she realised what he had just said. "Is that the way we all greet each other now? I feel like that's the only sentence I hear when someone walks into a room."</p><p>Her quip was greeted with silence as both men glanced awkwardly at one another. She drew in a breath, leaning her head on her fist, waiting for one of the boys to end the tension. Eventually, Luther broke it, clearing his throat as he stood. "Uh. Do you know about Mom?"</p><p>"Well, it looks like you got what wanted," Diego said, softer than expected. "One way or another, right?"</p><p>"Wanna tell me what <em>you're </em>doing here?"</p><p><em>"Seriously?" </em>Bea whispered, quiet enough that neither of them heard her.</p><p>Diego faced away from Luther, not currently willing to look his brother in the eye. "Looking for Five."</p><p>"Let me guess, you're gonna save the day."</p><p>"It's what I do," the tanned man retorted, turning back around for a split second before making his exit. As he walked, he couldn't help insulting Luther. "Asshole."</p><p>Not one to give up the last word, Luther spoke up. "Really? Last I checked, you mopped floors."</p><p>Bea gasped, sitting up straight and suddenly interested in the verbal fight. Although she couldn't see his face from her position, she was certain that Pogo's matched hers, if the way his head turned was any indication. <em>This is going to get ugly.</em></p><p>"And what do you do?" Diego asked, squaring up to Luther. "Sit on the moon for four years, waiting for orders?"</p><p>"Boys," Pogo interrupted, chastising the two brothers. "This won't help us find Five."</p><p>Number Two ignored him, continuing with his tirade. "Keep on being a loyal soldier after everything our father did to you."</p><p>"What?" Luther defended. "You mean save my life?" </p><p>"No, I mean turn you into a <em>monster</em>."</p><p>The room became deadly silent; apin could have been heard if it was dropped. Bea's eyes flickered between the brothers, a frown working its way onto her face. She was worried at what the next move would be - would a physical fight break out? They didn't have time for one, as much as Luther deserved to be punched in the face.</p><p>Said man moved swiftly, driving his clenched fist into the wardrobe adjacent to Diego's head. The wood shattered on contact, making room for Luther's entire forearm. Bea jumped from the shock of the action, clambering to her feet. Beside her, Pogo looked on in horror. Diego, however, was completely unfazed. "Can't hide it anymore, champ."</p><p>"He had a difficult decision to make and he made it." Once again, Luther's tone was defensive.</p><p>"Grow up, Luther. We're not thirteen anymore."</p><p>"That's what leaders do, by the way."</p><p>As the argument continued to grow increasingly more heated, Bea took a step forward, ready to intervene should she have to.</p><p>"He sent you on that mission all alone; almost got you killed-"</p><p>"Yeah well at least he was there. Where were you?" Diego rolled his eyes at Luther's questions, glancing quickly over at his sister. She continued to frown, shaking her head at him as if to say <em>stop this.</em> "You and everyone else in this family? You walked out-"</p><p>"And thank <em>Christ </em>that I did, or I would've ended up just like you! Plus as far as I'm aware, not all of us walked out voluntarily." His sharp gaze hit Bea, brown eyes meeting orange, and in response Luther also looked over. "Or are you denying that you kicked Bea out onto the street?"</p><p>"Diego-" Bea tried. She was ecstatic that her brother was coming to her defence - it made her feel a grand sense of pride - but she was aware of the time constraints. They had no idea where Five was and they had wasted enough time already.</p><p>He ignored her, ready and willing to hash out all of his problems. He took a step forward, jabbing a finger in Luther's chest. "You had no rightto tell her she didn't belong! You are the sole reason that we all lost contact with our <em>sister, </em>and I won't ever let you forget it." Diego's voice had become dangerously low, like a predator stalking its prey; given time he would pounce.</p><p>"Enough!" Pogo's stern voice sliced through the atmosphere like a knife, enough to make all three siblings jolt their heads towards him. "This house was attacked. We barely got out with our lives. And Grace - she wasn't so lucky." Diego dropped his head towards the ground at the ape's words. "Your brother is missing, and this is how you rise to the occasion? Take your nonsense elsewhere."</p><p>The brothers mumbled their apologies as they left the room, heads hung in shame. "Bea?"</p><p>"Yeah?"</p><p>"Go with them, please."</p><p>Bea nodded, following after the men. Catching up to them quickly, she caught the end of their conversation. "I know where I last saw him," Luther started, "he was parked up in a van."</p><p>"Well then," Bea commented, alerting them to her appearance. "Lead the way, King-Kong!"</p><p>Luther stormed off, clearly angered by the nickname. The redhead held her fist out towards her brother, who bumped it with his own in appreciation. They smiled, picking up the pace to catch the irritated giant before he left without them.</p><p>
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  </div></div>
<a name="section0017"><h2>17. s e v e n t e e n</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <em>
    <b>------------------------------------</b>
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</p><p>
  <em>There it was. It had taken six days to get to this point. Six days to make it to this exact location. The flight was only five hours and it took less than a day to find the building - but it took just under a week to build up enough courage to stand before it in all its grandeur. It was raining, as it always seemed to do on momentous occasions in her life. Call it 'pathetic fallacy'; the weather certainly matched her mood: sad, angry, anxious, apprehensive...</em>
</p><p>
  <em>The raindrops cascaded down her face and into her eyes, appearing as tears falling over her crimson cheeks, coloured from the cold. But she wouldn't cry. Not one more tear would be shed for the woman who stole her childhood from her. Her fists clenched, long nails digging into her hands and drawing blood, but she didn't care. The rain healed the wounds as quickly as she created them, carefully stitching her skin back together whilst the sky washed the cardinal liquid away.</em>
</p><p><em>Three steps forward. That's all it would take. This is what she came here for after all, wasn't it? She left her family behind, left</em> <em><b>him </b></em><em>behind, all without the truth - just so she could be here. If she didn't go through with her plan she'd not only let herself down, but them as well. And her father...would such cowardly behaviour even warrant a return?</em></p><p>
  <em>No.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>She had to do this. One conversation and her mind would be free. Free from the burning questions, the torment of not knowing why she was so unceremoniously dumped on the doorstep of a rich man ten years prior. It was scary, </em>
  <em>
    <b>terrifying </b>
  </em>
  <em>even, but Phoebe Hargreeves had faced worse adversaries in her daily life as a 'superhero'. She could do this.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Tentatively taking those few steps forward, she raised her hand to press the ornately modern doorbell, hearing its chimes as it echoed around the house. She heard the unmistakable sound of footsteps, as the large, wooden door began to creak open...</em>
</p><p>"Bea?"</p><p>"Hmm?" She came back to her current scene, softly shaking the memory from her head. With all that had transpired over the past day and her conversation - well confession <em>- </em>with Klaus, Bea was plagued with thoughts of <em>that </em>day, over ten years ago now. "What? I'm sorry," she frowned, "were you talking to me?"</p><p>"Yeah..." Diego trailed off, expression matching hers as he glanced back from his position beside her in the back of Five's van. Luther had, begrudgingly, led the two siblings to the van's location, hoping to find some clue as to their brother's whereabouts. Bullying his way into the driver's seat, Diego and Bea had been forced to climb into the back of the vehicle, rifling through Five's cluttered mess. The woman had been frantically searching for clues before halting, almost comically, and staring off into space. Naturally, Diego was concerned. "I asked if you were okay? You just kind of...stopped."</p><p>Bea scoffed, letting out a soft laugh as she allowed her eyes to close for a second. Re-opening them, she turned to her leather-clad brother. "I'm fine, sorry. I've just got a lot on my mind."</p><p>"We all do; doesn't mean we can slow down our search."</p><p>The redhead looked up, glaring daggers at Luther. He wasn't even looking at her, instead electing to dig through the glove compartment. Diego didn't miss the murderous look on his sister's face, nor the way her breathing became heavier. As she opened her mouth to speak, he moved a gloved hand to rest on her shoulder. "Don't," he simply warned. "He's not worth it."</p><p>Instead of making a snide comment, which she <em>really </em>wanted to do, Bea took the high road knowing that it would annoy Luther much more. She went quiet once again, continuing her search for clues. After a couple of minutes she sighed, growing steadily distressed as nothing of use turned up in her hands.</p><p>Diego was luckier. He shifted in his place, spinning around to look behind himself. He noticed a bag, zipped shut and shoved roughly into a corner. On opening it he whistled, gaining the attention of his companions. "I know where to find Five." In his hands was a copy of Vanya's autobiography, the pages marked with numbers and symbols in Five's handwriting. Bea had no idea what they meant or how they had led Diego to the conclusion that he knew where their brother was.</p><p>"I don't get what these mean," she muttered in confusion.</p><p>Diego held the book out to her, finger pointing at a clear marking. "It's not about the numbers, Bea. What does this say?"</p><p>"The...'Public Library'?" Bea understood what Diego was getting at, however she thought his deduction was a little far-fetched. "I see what you're getting at but how do we know he'll be there <em>now</em>? It looks like he's had that book for a while," she commented, scratching at the back of her head as she lowered herself to a seating position on the floor.</p><p>"She's right." </p><p>Bea was certain she had just received whiplash from how quickly her head turned towards Number One at his words. "E-excuse me?"</p><p>Luther ignored her, continuing on before he regretted his decision. "There's no way to know if Five's there now. If we make the trek there and he's not, then we've wasted valuable time."</p><p>"But he might be," Diego spat back. "We've got to check it out."</p><p>"Yeah but if you're wrong-"</p><p>"Well, what if I'm not wrong?"</p><p>"You're not <em>always </em>right, you know!"</p><p>"I'm right a lot more than you, <em>asshole</em>-"</p><p>"HEY." Bea had had enough of their bickering; at this rate it could go on for hours, and that amount of time wasn't exactly a luxury in their current predicament. The two brothers faced her, frowns adorning their faces. "I think Diego's right-"</p><p>"Of course you do," Luther muttered.</p><p>"Shut up!" Bea bit back in response, not even having to raise her voice to surprise the giant into submission. "Look, I'm more than happy to go to the library with the only lead we have; I'm pretty sure Diego is too." She paused, waiting as he nodded. "Right. So, if you want to come, Luther, then you're more than welcome to. If not, have fun searching." </p><p>On that rather blunt note, she made her way towards the van door, sliding it open and carefully stepping out into the surprisingly cool and comfortable air. Were circumstances different, Bea would most definitely have been out on the roads, riding her motorcycle around the city with no clear destination in mind. She was desperately missing that kind of freedom. Although she loved having her family back and wouldn't change it for anything, the price of having them was incredibly high.</p><p>Diego followed after Bea, slamming the door shut behind him and rousing her from her thoughts. He didn't wait to hear a response from Luther before he gently guided his sister away by the arm, heading in the direction of the public library on Argyle Street. </p><p>Not ten seconds later did they hear a booming call from behind them. "Wait up!"</p><p>
  <b>-----------------------------------------------</b>
</p><p>It only took around twenty-five minutes to walk to the library from Five's van; all three members of the party were fit enough that they weren't out of breath when they arrived. The Argyle Public Library was a grand building...not to mention enormous. <em>If he's in there he could anywhere, </em>Bea thought, involuntarily allowing pessimism to seep into her. As if on cue, Diego sidled up to her, ready to quash her negative thoughts. "He's here," he started, "I can feel it in my bones."</p><p>Bea laughed, a bright sound that cut through the dark atmosphere. "Okay, and when did you become a fucking psychic?"</p><p>Diego didn't verbally reply; instead he chuckled and rolled his eyes as they entered the building.</p><p>***</p><p>The three of them stood together in the center of the cylindrical structure, staring up in awe at the intricate and impressive architecture. The subtle wave of panic was once again threatening to overcome Bea as she glanced around. The library really was <em>huge; </em>that combined with Five's frantic nature was surely a recipe for disaster. <em>Hell, we could end up chasing him around like a cat with a string on its tail. </em></p><p> "Let's split up," Luther commanded, walking towards the right-most staircase and shocking the redhead with his bluntness. In all honesty, she shouldn't have been shocked by his brash attitude - only she'd made the mistake of assuming he would try to come up with some 'brilliant' strategy like he did when they were children.</p><p>"Wow. Good thinking," Diego mumbled in response whilst heading to the left-most staircase, leaving Bea to stand in stupor by herself on the ground floor. </p><p>She wandered through the ground level of the library, peering around bookshelves and into every nook and cranny that she possibly could. Nothing. She went up a level, hoping to see what the others might have missed. Still nothing. She went up again, repeating the same cycle of coming up empty handed. "God damn it," she whispered, long nails digging into her soft palms as she clenched her fists in frustration. She finally reached the top floor, passing the other two members of the search party. Bea stared at them wide-eyed, silently asking if they'd had any luck; she could clearly see that the boy wasn't with them but inquired anyway. They both shook their heads, looking as disheveled in failure as she felt on the inside. </p><p>As the two men began to talk - or argue - Bea closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She assumed they had already searched this floor and she was exhausted from running around for so long. She needed to be strategic; there was one more thing she could try, something she hadn't tried to do in a long time. Even if it did work, it wouldn't necessarily help find her brother any faster. Then again, she might get lucky like in some cheesy television show. "It's worth a shot," she muttered. Keeping her eyes closed, she cast her senses out, searching for water. On average, the human body is around sixty percent water, meaning that Bea could, theoretically, pinpoint someone's exact location. Unfortunately, she couldn't distinguish between individuals, only recognise that there was a body there. Seeing as how she hadn't utilised this part of her abilities in well over seven years, and that there were a <em>lot </em>of people in the building, she thought it was a stupid decision - but one she had to try nonetheless. That was, if it even worked in the first place.</p><p>After several seconds, Bea had successfully latched onto every single human body in the building. It was an overwhelming sensation, one that almost caused her to immediately sever contact, but she held on firm. Opening her eyes slowly, Bea glanced around and noticed that everyone now adopted a faint orange glow around their forms. Some were brighter than others; it simply depended on how much of the liquid was present.  Letting out an incredulous laugh, she spoke to herself. "I can't believe that worked! Now to find Five."</p><p>The bonus to this 'special feature'was that the redhead could almost see through walls; she could sense if there was someone in a room without opening the door. Also, considering the glow outlined their entire body, she could decipher between adult and child based on size. This would become incredibly useful in seeking out Five's teenage figure.</p><p>Keeping on the same level Bea followed the circular path around, stopping in confusion when she saw an eminently luminous glow.<em> No one person could have that much water in them, right? </em>Her initial conclusion was correct - it wasn't the glimmer of an individual person but several, gathered around the same spot. She walked over, excusing herself as she pushed to the front of the crowd. On seeing what was causing such a fuss, she audibly gasped, throwing a hand over her mouth. </p><p>"Nothing to see here, everyone; I'm his sister, it's all good now!" As the crowd reluctantly dispersed, Bea shook her head. "What the fuck, Five?" He didn't respond, seeming to be unconscious. The woman checked his pulse, sighing in relief when she felt his heartbeat. She wasn't blind to the empty bottle of alcohol to his left. "Stay here, you idiot."</p><p>Rushing back to Diego and Luther, Bea frantically called out to them. "Guys!" She paused, catching her breath as they gave her their full attention. "I found him."</p><p>
  <b>-----------------------------------------------</b>
</p><p> There was a palpable tension between numbers One and Two as they walked through an alley and away from the library. Bea assumed that they must have had an argument about something personal again but she, for one, was not going to open that can of worms. Five had been roused to consciousness from the soft rocking motion of Luther's gait as he was held in his large arms, spouting drunken nonsense and clinging onto half of a mannequin. Bea would certainly question him about that when he was sober. </p><p>For now, she was the picture of concern. For all she knew, adult Five may have been a raging alcoholic but, from what she could see, his youthful body couldn't take it. Bea was also angry at the fact that he had hidden himself away and cut off all contact; she thought they were closer than that. Something heinous must have happened to him - she needed to find out what it was.</p><p>"Where are we going?" she asked. It was night now, the only light emanating from street lamps and illuminated signs. </p><p>"Well, we can't go back to the house," Luther offered in response, shifting the boy in his arms. "It's not secure. Those psychopaths could come back at any moment."</p><p>"My place is closer. No one will look for him there," Diego stated.</p><p>Five roused, looking worse for wear and very nauseous. "If you vomit on me-"</p><p>"You know what's funny?" Five slurred, laughing with no real feeling behind it. "I'm going through puberty...twice." He scoffed, rolling his entire head so that he was facing Bea. "And I-I drank that whole bottle, didn't I?"</p><p>Bea shook her head, stopping herself from biting his head off. He may have been a moron but he was a drunk moron; she had to be careful how she spoke to him in case he decided to do something irrational. "Yes, you did," she spoke clearly, adopting a nurturing tone not dissimilar to Grace's.</p><p>Five smiled. "That's what you do when the world you love goes bye-bye! Poof, it's gone." Comically, he changed the topic, thoughts moving a mile a minute despite his lethargic state. "What are you guys talkin' about?"</p><p>Luther sighed, frowning. "Two masked intruders attacked the Academy last night."</p><p>"They came looking for you!" Diego said bitterly. Bea could tell that, deep down, Diego blamed Five for Grace's death. The assassins were searching for their brother, as Diego rightly said, and Grace was an lamentable collateral. "I need you to focus. What do they want?"</p><p>"<em>Hazel and Cha-Cha.</em>" Five's words could easily have been missed as he spoke so quietly. Luckily, the alley they were in was deserted so all three of his siblings heard him.</p><p>Luther glared at the boy in his arms. "Who? You know, I hate code names." <em>Ironic, </em>Bea thought, <em>considering you always refer to yourself by one. </em>She was momentarily confused at his lack of knowledge on the topic; she had disclosed her basic understanding to Allison, Diego and Vanya. Vanya was in the wind and Diego was stubborn, but Bea had assumed Allison had mentioned those names when she informed Luther of his mother's demise. <em>I guess not.</em></p><p>"Ah," Five garbled, "the best of the best. Except for me, of course. You know, Delores always said she hated when I drink."</p><p>"The best of what?" Luther demanded, shaking the boy slightly and ignoring his comment about 'Delores'.</p><p>"Luther!" His attention snapped to the woman next to him. "They're...assassins."</p><p>The large man paused in his movements, effectively bringing the party to a halt. "You knew?"</p><p>Bea gestured to her littlest brother. "He told me a few days back."</p><p>"And you didn't think to tell anyone else?" Luther barked.</p><p>She narrowed her eyes in response, holding her ground. "I didn't know they were <em>here </em>or that they'd attack the Academy. You would have known all this yesterday if you weren't off hiding like a little bitch and feeling sorry for yourself!"</p><p>Before Luther could utter his defence, Diego brought them back to the present. "Hey! I need you all to focus. Five, what do this Hazel and Cha-Cha want?"</p><p>The boy in question just smiled, smirking to himself as if he were thinking of the funniest joke in the world. Diego was impatient, but realised quickly that he would never get through if he remained angry. "We just wanna protect you."</p><p>"Protect me? I don't need your protection, Diego," Five spat. "Do you have any idea how many people I've killed?"</p><p>Bea had only guessed at Five's escapades in the future. He wouldn't tell her in their earlier car journey to Vanya's, and she hadn't missed the strain in his voice when he told her to leave it alone. But his actions had spoken louder than any words ever could. He was well trained sure - they all were. Yet there was something different about him now. Something seasoned. She didn't approve of his murderous actions but who was she to judge? There was something about the weight of his intoxicated words that hit her hard. It wasn't that they reminded her of his past occupation; it was that she could hear herself uttering the very same words. Did anyone really know how many people <em>she </em>had killed? Did she?</p><p>"I'm the Four frickin' Horsemen," he ground out, readjusting himself once more. "The apocalypse is coming." On that note Five turned, proceeding to vomit violently behind Luther's shoulder. The other men sighed in disgust, but Bea only felt sympathy. </p><p>"Give him here," she instructed, holding her arms out to receive him.</p><p>Luther stared back at her in bewilderment. "You think you can carry him?"</p><p>Without missing a beat, Bea's tone sharpened. "Just give me my brother."</p><p>Reluctantly, Luther handed the boy - and his mannequin - over, immediately checking his jacket for signs of Five's spit up. He was satisfied to see that it had <em>just </em>missed him. "Let's keep moving," he said, starting to walk again. "Diego, lead the way."</p><p>Diego nodded, taking the lead at the front of the group. Bea trailed behind at the back, not because carrying her brother made her slower, but because she wanted some privacy to chat to him. "Five?" she whispered. The boy mumbled incoherently, shuffling closer to the warmth of his sister's body. She smiled, but there was no warmth behind her eyes. Noticing that Five was unconscious once again, she muttered softly to him. "You may not want protection, or even need it, but that doesn't mean I won't keep giving it to you until the day I die."</p><p>
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  </div></div>
<a name="section0018"><h2>18. e i g h t e e n</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"Klaus! You need to calm down or you're never getting out of this."</p><p>He paused. Sweat cascaded down from every inch of his body, melded with crimson blood and dirt. His eyeliner was smudged; involuntary tears had made sure of that. Forest green eyes widened as he jerked his head to the right, staring intently at his ghostly companion. Klaus tried to muffle out a response, but the duct tape pressed over his lips was not allowing him to do so.</p><p>"They can't hear me so just listen," Ben continued, perching on the floor next to his brother's chair-prison. "They're spooked because they don't realise how powerful you are. Even you don't!" Standing, he moved to lean over Klaus' seat, resting both hands on the arms and ensuring that his brother's attention was solely on him. "You haven't been this clean in ten years-"</p><p>On hearing this accusation, Klaus attempted to protest, however all the tape over his mouth would allow was muffled indignation.</p><p>Ben chose to ignore this, instead deadpanning as he continued. "Don't lie to yourself. It's been that long." </p><p>Klaus rolled his eyes but didn't try to argue any further. Taking the silence as a cue, the ghostly Hargreeves continued his miniature lecture. "You were young when you were clean so your abilities weren't fully developed yet. You're an adult now! We don't know the limits of what you can do. So stay clean, Klaus. If not for yourself, then for her."</p><p>Klaus sighed. Her. She was the reason that he was relatively clean and sober all those years ago. The stress of pressures from his father was what drove him to substance abuse in the first place. He'd started using when he was twelve, only to stop at sixteen when he began dating Phoebe. It took time, yet eventually Klaus realised he didn't need the mind-numbing pills when she was around. She calmed him naturally with kind, sweet words and physical contact. </p><p>She was his new drug. </p><p>Losing Bea almost drove him over the edge. Luther had somehow managed to convince him that she wasn't coming back - that she didn't want to come back. The intoxicants he couldn't help but revert back to had cemented that realisation in his mind. </p><p>None of that matters now, he thought, jolting himself out of past grievances. She's back. Raising his eyes to meet Ben's, who had taken a step back to stand up straight, Klaus nodded. </p><p>"Good," Ben concluded. "Well, you're going to need some help. The best hope we can bet on right now is that the cleaning lady is outside or someone else is passing by. Hop yourself over to the door."</p><p>Doing as his brother instructed, Klaus manoeuvred both himself and his chair over the the motel's tantalizingly close exit. By some stroke of luck, he saw a shadowy figure pass by the large, translucent windows. Recognizing that he needed to get their attention, but was unable to shout, Klaus did the one thing he could...he bashed his skull against a table. Would this figure even help him escape if they opened the door? Would his assailants hear the banging and get to him before his potential saviour?</p><p>Number Four had little time to think as the door creaked open.</p><p> </p><p>-----------------------------------------</p><p> </p><p>They walked through the night, arriving at Diego's digs while the moon was still in the sky. It  cast a pale, silvery light over the building that matched Bea's  mood. She felt cold, both figuratively and literally. She had successfully managed to carry both 'Dolores' and an unconscious Five in her arms for the entire journey. She had walked in silence, following Diego blindly. She hadn't missed, however, the way that Luther would routinely look back at her. There was no concern for her in his eyes - Bea had come to the conclusion that he was checking to see if she had run away with Five, or even dropped him. I'm not some pathetic weakling, Luther, she had scowled to herself. </p><p>On arriving at what Bea could only describe as a 'fight club', Diego had ushered his siblings into a dingy back room. Looking around carefully, Bea noticed several key things about the basement; first of all there was a single bed pushed up against the back wall and a rather dirty looking kitchenette off to the side. Has Diego been living here? she questioned to herself. Her initial assumptions were confirmed by her second observation: knives littered the place, whether they were stuck haphazardly into the walls and the paper body targets, or simply laying around on the surfaces. If that weren't evidence enough, framed with pride of place on the wall next to his bed was the unmistakable image of a mask and two knives, cross-stitched delicately with the word 'Diego' underneath. Bea recognized this from Diego's room in the Academy when they were children. Grace had lovingly made it for him as a small token gift. In fact, she had made one for all of the children, though Bea couldn't remember seeing hers when she had returned to her old bedroom a few days prior.</p><p>On walking a mere few more steps down the ramp into the space, Diego and Luther both stopped in their tracks and turned towards her, advancing slowly. Diego arrived first, carefully lifting the broken mannequin from where it rested against her shoulder. In response to this, Bea muttered a soft 'thank you', appreciating her brother for taking the uncomfortable extra weight off and making her life slightly easier. As Diego turned away, Luther approached next, reaching for Five. The redheaded woman took a step back, unwilling to give up the sleeping boy. </p><p>"I'm fine, Luther, I can carry him," she said, casting her narrowed orange eyes up to meet his blue ones.</p><p>Luther held her stare, unwavering. "I'm not asking."</p><p>As the two long-time enemies continued their staring match, Diego grew frustrated. Now was not the time for this bullshit. He placed the mannequin on a chair to the side by its neck, pausing to stare at it for a second. After a beat, he noticed the animosity coming from his left and turned to face the others. "Cut the crap, will you? Just put him on the bed." Another moment passed, with neither party budging. "Bea."</p><p>Glancing over to Diego, Bea heaved a sigh and looked down to Five. She had carried him all the way here from the alley near the library, and she'd be lying if she said her arms weren't just a little bit tired. However, in that moment, she knew that to give him away was to end her contact with him. She hadn't had that much physical contact with her favourite brother since...well, ever. A hug here or there was tolerated when they were young, but Bea could never have imagined she would be able to hold him in her arms. Seeing him as a teenager again whilst being an adult herself had subconsciously changed her attitude towards him. Before, they were equals - growing up together. Now? He may have been mentally older but physically she was, and she'd be damned if she didn't admit she felt her maternal instincts kick into gear, chiefly due to his present unconscious state. He looked so frail and small, curled up against her chest. She'd said it to him on the way to Diego's and she'd say it again: she would protect him until her dying breath. Protection meant keeping him away from dangers, away from things she didn't trust. And Luther? He was the epitome of things she didn't trust. Nevertheless, Diego was right. Getting Five onto a bed to rest was priority and arguing with Luther over bragging rights to job completion wasn't worth the waste of time. </p><p>"Fine." Begrudgingly she complied, lifting Five into the large man's awaiting arms.</p><p>"Was that so hard?" Luther asked, swinging his body around to head towards the bed.</p><p>Bea followed him, malice lacing her voice. "Don't push it."</p><p>Luther, on arriving at the makeshift bed at the end of the room, chose not to place the sleeping boy carefully down. Instead, he dumped him, the semi-soft thump clearly reverberating around the room.</p><p>Bea gaped at him, shocked. "Would you be careful?" Both conscious men shushed her, afraid she'd wake their brother. Lowering her voice, she continued. "Oh what, you think I'm going to wake Five? What about numbnuts over here throwing him down like a sack of shit?"</p><p>"He's still asleep so just shut up for once," Luther responded, rolling his eyes.</p><p>Bea moved away from her place next to Luther, sitting in a chair behind him. "I am running out of ways to call you an asshole and still be original." Sulking, she crossed her arms and said nothing further, needing the mental respite if she had any hopes of continuing on with the day. </p><p>Diego filled her place next to his brother, staring down at Five's limp form. "Funny," he started. "If I didn't know he was such a prick, I'd say he looks almost adorable in his sleep."</p><p>"Well, don't worry," Luther muttered in response. "He'll sober up eventually - be back to his normal, unpleasant self."</p><p>From behind him, Bea silently scoffed. He's more pleasant than you; at least he has friends.</p><p>Diego began heading for the door, his impatient nature showing in waves with his words. "Yeah, I can't wait that long. I need to find out what his connection is with these lunatics before someone else dies."</p><p>"Diego, wait."</p><p>"What, Bea? I need to head out there before-"</p><p>"I think I know what his connection is."</p><p>Her brother stopped still in his movement, slowly moving his body to face her. "You 'think you know'? You keeping more secrets?"</p><p>"Wouldn't surprise me."</p><p>Briefly flashing Luther her middle finger, Bea stood up from her seat and addressed Diego. "Believe me when I say that I never wanted to keep anything from you; from any of you. It was...circumstantial. It was finding the right time to tell you." She took a hesitant step towards her knife-wielding brother, keeping her eyes on his with confidence. "Five didn't tell me much, but I think I've worked out why those animal masked maniacs want him dead. I think Five-"</p><p>Before she could continue with her observations and conclusions, a noise came from above them, halting her efforts. Diego immediately threw a finger to his mouth, silencing them all. The noise grew from a single instance to multiple, morphing with ease into footsteps - heavy and purposeful. Tensions in the room grew thick, and Bea felt the classic symptoms of anxiety begin to well up in her chest. Her heart felt as though it had constricted and her blood ran cold. She took an intuitive step backwards towards Five. A split second was all it took for her to locate the largest source of water (the sink) and prepare herself to drag the liquid towards her should she need it. As Diego made his way towards the door he picked up a knife, signalling to his siblings to keep quiet as he wrenched the door open and prepared to attack. What they weren't expecting, however, was the unusual older voice tinged with annoyance.</p><p>"You throw another one of those goddamn knives at me, I'm pressing charges!" </p><p>Diego sighed, visibly relaxing and Bea allowed herself to do the same, though furrowing her brow in response. Does he know this guy? The rest of the conversation was a blur to her as she calmed herself down. The last few days had been so full of shock and surprise that the redheaded woman didn't know if her heart could take any more. Being away from anyone she knew for such a long time had meant that she hadn't really had to face any minor anxieties like this. It had been good for her health. But being back with them, though joyful and heart filling, did come with minor inconveniences. </p><p>"-said she found your brother." These words were all it took for Bea's mind to tune back into the conversation and kick into overdrive. Her heart soared; had someone found Klaus? Was he alright? Alive even? Too many questions floated about in her overzealous mind. All she knew was that she had to get to him. She'd rescued Five already - that was one less loved one to worry about. She could now focus solely on Klaus. It had been almost twelve hours since his disappearance and she knew that anything could have happened in that time, especially if he really had been kidnapped by two psychopath assassins. </p><p>"Well, that didn't make sense." </p><p>Looking around at the men, Bea noticed they were both zoned in on Five, confused at how their brother had been 'found' when he was sleeping soundly in the room with them. Are they serious? she thought. "Klaus, you idiots!" she exclaimed, shrugging her slender shoulders and lifting her arms in disbelief. Luther and Diego looked at each other, repeating Klaus' name. "Let's go!" Bea stormed towards the door, grasping Diego's arm as she went. He had been a part of the conversation with their visitor; he knew where Klaus would be. She didn't wait for Luther and after a few seconds noticed he wasn't following them. Good, he can stay with Five. Better someone to keep an eye on him than no-one. </p><p>Bea and Diego raced to the latter's car, jumping in and taking off as quickly as physically possible. "How far away is this place?" Bea asked, frantic worry very apparent in her shaking voice.</p><p>"Not far, five minutes max."</p><p>"Okay." Bea paused, studying her brother's hardened face. "By the way, who's this woman that guy mentioned?"</p><p>Diego kept silent, eyes on the road. After a beat he relaxed a little. "A friend. Well, and old girlfriend."</p><p>"Oh."</p><p>"She's a cop - a detective. I help her with cases from time to time."</p><p>Bea nodded, absorbing all of the new information as best she could. She smiled, still looking directly at Diego. "If she really did find Klaus I'll never be able to repay her enough."</p><p>He smiled back, small but noticeable. "If I know Patch, and I do, she will have found him. Trust me on that."</p><p>Without missing a beat, Bea replied, "I do."</p><p>The rest of the journey was silent, but full of tension. Both Hargreeves were sweating and panicked. Where Diego managed to keep his breathing under control, Bea's was beginning to become shallower. Taking a deep breath she sighed, willing herself to calm down. I'm no use to anyone if I faint, she chided herself. </p><p>As they pulled up to the motel, Bea rushed to push the car door open, fully prepared to charge throughout the premises. Before she could, Diego placed a firm hand on her arm. "Phoebe, we need to do this right. And that means calmly. We don't know if these lunatics are still here. Okay?"</p><p>She stilled, looking over to him. "Okay," she repeated. Once again, though more calmly this time, Bea reached for the car door, opening it and stepping out. She followed Diego's lead, trusting in his natural and trained instincts. He always had a keen sense of direction on missions, she remembered well. Following her brother up the disheveled set of stairs, she spotted in the distance what appeared to be an open door. "Diego-"</p><p>"I see it."</p><p>The two of them pushed on gingerly, approaching the open doorway. As Diego took the lead, he called out to Klaus, hoping to hear a response. Looking into the room, however, he froze and stopped dead. Had Bea not been paying attention she would have crashed straight into the back of him. Observing her brother's change in behaviour, she questioned him. "What is it?"</p><p>His response was enough. He began to scramble into the motel room, shedding his drawn knives and gloves as he went. He was calling out a woman's name - Eudora - and Bea assumed this was his detective friend. Diego's tone was scared, an emotion not usually associated with him. When Bea herself looked into the room she understood.</p><p>Eudora Patch was dead. And Klaus was nowhere to be found.</p><p>-----------------------------------------</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0019"><h2>19. n i n e t e e n</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <b>*16 years ago*</b>
</p><p><em>She heard him before she saw him. Laying on her bed after another strenuous day of trying not to accidentally drown herself, a fourteen-year-old Phoebe needed to rest. Eyes closed, she reveled in the silence of her base level bedroom, door shut and distractions eliminated. And yet...after a good few minutes she heard it. A soft sound, barely audible but still there. </em>Sobbing<em>. </em></p><p><em>Opening her eyes she sat up slowly, positioning her ears to gain a better understanding of the origin of the noise. </em>Who could it be? <em>she asked herself. </em><em>Most of the others weren't around; they were still training in various locations around the Academy grounds.</em> <em>The only way she would find out for sure would be to investigate. She stood, quiet as a mouse, and crept over to the room's entrance. Opening the door with practiced ease, she avoided the common creak and tiptoed outside. Swinging her head from left to right she listened, determining the source. The sobs were louder now, albeit only marginally, but the rise in noise level helped.</em> It's coming from the right, <em>she realised. And whose room was to her right? </em></p><p>Diego.</p><p>
  <em>Diego was a tough boy from what Bea had seen over the past few years that she had been living at the Academy. He was a natural leader, though his efforts were often quashed by his numerical superior. Bea trusted his instincts and they had never led her astray. She had managed to grow close enough to him over the years that they considered each other siblings, and she knew of his close relationship with Grace - even if he hid away his sensitivities from the others. She hadn't, however, ever heard him cry. If he got knocked down, or berated by his father, he would hold his head high and walk away. If he didn't win an argument he would storm off; angry, not sad. Even when the pointed needle of a tattoo gun pierced his left arm, he stayed stoic.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Bea, in contrast, cried all the time. When she first arrived, abandoned as a child, she couldn't stop crying for well over a week. She would weep at the dinner table, during practice, or randomly burst into tears with no provocation at all. As she aged, the tears lessened - both from making friends to being scolded for being 'too weak' by Reginald. By age thirteen she was strong. She pushed through the urge to cry by recognizing that it would only make her situation worse, especially if she were trapped in a pool. Lack of air and water don't make for an ideal combination. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>Though she had made great strides in her progress to become mentally tenacious, it had all gone out of the window last year. The year Five disappeared. Losing her best friend had been too much and Bea felt her seven-year-old self rising up to the surface once again. They had all been affected. All 'mourned' the loss of their brother, but it had hit Bea the hardest. In retaliation to these emotions she had thrown herself into her training; anything to take her mind off of him. Today was one such day. And after such a mentally taxing day, a crying Diego was utterly unexpected. </em>
</p><p>
  <em>Standing outside of his door, Bea called out to him. "Diego?" </em>
  <em>With a sniff, the crying stopped. "I know it's you in there. Can I come in?"</em>
</p><p>"<em>Go away</em>!" <em>came his answer - short and sharp.</em></p><p>
  <em>She kept her voice soft and free of judgement. "It's only me. If you think I didn't hear you, you'd be wrong. Please let me in."</em>
</p><p>
  <em>A moment passed. He stayed silent. Bea took this as a cue to enter and proceeded to turn the handle. As she did so she walked in, gently shutting the door behind her and finally getting a good look at her brother. The first thing she noticed was that he looked small, much smaller than he actually was. He was folded up in a chair by the end of his bed, knees to his chest, and hastily wiping at his eyes as if to clear any evidence of his true emotions.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"I didn't say you could come in," he mumbled.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Bea smiled. "You didn't technically </em>
  <em>say</em>
  <em> that I couldn't." </em>
</p><p>
  <em>He sniffed again, looking into her eyes. "What do you want, Bea?"</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"What do I want?" she questioned, raising an eyebrow. Pacing cautiously towards him, she sat down on the edge of his bed. "I want to know why you're crying. You never cry."</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"I'm sad, okay?" he spat. "I'm allowed to b-be sad!"</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Holding her hands out in a placating gesture, Bea leaned back. "Hey, I never said you couldn't be! I just wanted to know why because then maybe I could help."</em>
</p><p>
  <em>He sighed, relaxing slightly and allowing his feet to fall to the floor. "You can't help. No-one can."</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"Well maybe-"</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"He's gone, Bea! H-he's gone! What if he never comes back? What if we never find him? And..." he paused, trying desperately to hold back the fresh sobs that threatened to burst out of him. "What if he's d-dead?"</em>
</p><p>
  <em>He didn't have to name him. Bea knew exactly who he was talking about. Diego hadn't cried the day Five vanished. He'd held his emotions in, determined to be strong enough that it wouldn't affect him. But this was one dam that couldn't hold and the floodgates had well and truly opened. Resilient Number Two had finally cracked.</em>
</p><p><em>"You can't think like that!" Bea said, standing from the bed with tears of her own springing to her eyes. "This is </em>Five <em>we're talking about; wherever he is he's alive and well and I refuse to believe otherwise!"</em></p><p>
  <em>"But-"</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"No buts, Diego! We can't keep crying over this, as much as we want to." As she spoke, light teardrops cascaded down from each orange eye, decorating her pale face. "Five wouldn't want that. And we know for a fact that he'd never let you live it down if he found out you were crying over him." She chuckled to herself, eliciting the same response from her brother. "Now I don't want to ever have to see you cry again, unless it's something really bad. Okay?"</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Diego looked up at his sister, a smile blooming onto his face. "Yeah, okay."</em>
</p><p>
  <em>________________________________</em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <b>*</b>
  </em>
  <b>Present day</b>
  <em>
    <b>*</b>
  </em>
</p><p>Seeing Diego on the floor of the motel room clutching the poor detective's body to his chest, hot tears coating his tanned face, stopped time still for Bea. She thought back to the first time she saw him cry, promising him that Five hadn't been killed somewhere in some tragic accident. She had been right all along, she knew now, but in this case there was nothing anyone could do for Patch. She was dead; shot through the heart. In reality, she wouldn't have felt pain for long - but that was besides the point. When someone dies, even if they themselves don't suffer much in the process, those that get left behind are dealt an unavoidably catastrophic blow. This blow will plague their minds, consuming their senses and allowing important decisions to be made with skewed judgement. Diego for the most part was rational, but something this harrowing could have the possibility of overwhelming him; with the impending apocalypse due any day now he really needed to keep a clear mind.</p><p>Bea had never heard of Eudora Patch until today. Why should she have? She had made it a prioritized goal to avoid the law at all costs in her days on the street; after she pulled her life back together she had become a model citizen. All she did know was that Patch had been a successful detective and a former girlfriend of her brother. As Diego spoke about her in the car ride over, his voice had been full of pride. Now, he cried over her limp form like a baby. <em>He still loves her, </em>she realized.<br/>Hovering outside the door on the balcony-style walkway, Bea felt entirely useless. She could do nothing but watch the tragedy unfold. Her mind was racing - a dead detective was not a good sign in the case to find Klaus. Had the kidnappers shot the detective and escaped, taking Klaus with them? She couldn't miss the chair right in front of her, remnants of duct tape around the arm rests and blood on the seat. Klaus had definitely been here and he'd been tortured in some capacity. A plethora or worst-case-scenarios crept to the forefront of her mind.</p><p>Before she could dwell on those somber thoughts for too long, Bea heard the unmistakable wailing of police sirens in the distance. "She called backup!" she said, voice hushed.</p><p>Hearing those words broke Diego out of his trance. He remembered that no, he hadn't arrived alone and police backup was indeed on its way. He stood, regretfully, and stared down at Patch with sad and loving eyes. "I gotta go", he whispered, "I'm so sorry." As he rushed to collect his forgotten belongings he paused abruptly, reaching to grab something from the side table. In the dim lighting, Bea couldn't make out the object but it didn't matter too much to her in their current predicament. All she could see was that whatever it was had decidedly changed Diego's facial expression. His features hardened somewhat, his body stiffening. Whatever he had found, it wasn't good. He made for the exit, shoving past her with enough force as he went to have her stumble backwards, gaping after him as he hurried for the stairs. Bea was bewildered by the shift in the atmosphere and, throwing one last wayward glance towards the deceased, bolted after him.</p><p>She raced down the stairs, heart hammering in her chest as adrenaline pulsed through her. It began to rain, weather once again matching the mood as it soaked through her sweater. Turning the corner towards the parked car she was shocked to see it not parked on the corner where she remembered, but instead speeding away from her. "What the fuck?" she exclaimed, eyes wide. <em>He didn't wait for me? </em>With the police sirens louder than ever, Bea knew that she had to leave the premises, lest she be arrested on suspicion of murder.</p><p>Taking off once again, she ran in the direction of the fight club, willing her legs to keep going even though they were beginning to burn like hellfire. The rain was, ironically, helping. It gave her energy - it's tranquil aura comforting. What was only a five minute drive by car was beginning to feel like a marathon to the running woman. She halted in her efforts, leaning over to brace herself on her knees as she took deep, gulping breaths. Looking around, she prayed that there would be something she could steal - something she could <em>use - </em>to help her arrive at her destination quicker. Luck was on her side today; to her left, leaning innocently against a lamp post, was a bicycle. <em>"I'm going to kill him," </em>she mumbled, wrenching the bike away from its resting place.<em>"Making me steal a goddamn bicycle in the rain."</em></p><p><em>-------------------------</em>-------</p><p>Amazingly, sheer determination meant that Bea had arrived at the gym in record time. That, and the steroid-like boost the rainfall had given her. Tossing the bike to one side she stumbled off of it, nearly falling over in the process. As she headed towards the front door, she slapped a palm down on the hood of Diego's car. It was still hot, indicating that he hadn't been there long.</p><p>By now, Bea was soaked through to the bone, a shiver coursing through her. It wasn't entirely a major issue; she could, after all, ball the water together and instantly dry herself off. However, the fact that it had happened at all, and because of Diego's haste to abandon her, left Bea furious. </p><p>She charged through the building, kicking the back door open with a scowl on her face. Three faces immediately turned towards her, emotions varying.</p><p>Relatively unfazed, Five spoke up from his seated position on the bed. "Is this just how we enter rooms now?" Unbeknownst to Bea, Diego had done much the same thing when he arrived back not that much earlier.</p><p>Bea ignored Five, rounding on Diego. "Are you serious?" she boomed, standing still in the ever growing puddle of water at their feet. "Glad to see you made it back here okay! Of course, it's a lot easier to escape twenty cop cars when you're <em>driving.</em>"</p><p>"Phoeb-" Diego began.</p><p>"No, no, no, I'm okay. I like being abandoned at crime scenes," she started, sarcasm lacing her usually lovely voice. "<em>Really </em>gets the blood flowing!"</p><p>Luther took a step towards her, annoyance growing. He had already had one irrational family member burst in with murderous rage; he didn't need another. "Calm down!"</p><p>Incredulous, Bea looked over to him. "'Calm down'? What do you know, you big oaf? You're not the one who had to run a couple blocks and steal a bicycle because they got left behind at a fucking <em>crime scene</em>!" Rounding back on Diego, she mellowed a little, folding her arms across her chest. "Look, I'm sorry that your friend died and I can't even begin to imagine what you're going through. But leaving me behind like that was...inexcusable."</p><p>Silence followed, the only sounds that could clearly be heard being Bea's heavy breathing and the water droplets splashing to the floor as they dripped down her body.</p><p>"Did you know?"</p><p>"What?" Diego's question had thrown Bea for a loop.</p><p>He laughed, but there was no humour behind it. "What am I saying - of course you did." Moving closer, he stood directly in front of her, his face close enough so that she could feel his hot breath on her own. "You seem to know everything these days, don't you?"</p><p>Leaning back slightly, Bea frowned. "That's not fair," she whispered. "I've told you everything I know!"</p><p>"Yeah?" Stepping back, Diego raised his voice and pointed a sharpened knife in Five's direction. "So did you just 'forget' to mention that you knew he was a professional assassin?"</p><p>Orange eyes widening, Bea felt her breath leave her body. She glanced at Five, whose inquisitive brown eyes seemed to stare straight through her and into her soul. She had only guessed of his past profession from carefully placed context clues. His reluctance to speak the truth to her had led her to conclude that it was something he was ashamed of - <em>no. Something he didn't want me specifically to know. </em>The methodical and brutal ways in which he had taken out the guards at Griddy's went well beyond his thirteen years of training. He acted with a lifetime's worth of experience. <em>He was a killer. </em></p><p>In fairness, Bea had tried to tell Diego and Luther her thoughts on the matter earlier that day, but she was interrupted by the news on Patch's whereabouts. The truth of the matter was that she could not, <em>would not, </em>make accusations towards Five if she wasn't one hundred percent certain that she was right. </p><p>"Five I-"</p><p>He sighed, cutting her off. "When did you guess?"</p><p>"Those aren't ordinary assassins. They're hunting you down for something you've done in the past. But you haven't been <em>here</em>. The signs all pointed to it; the way you killed those guards in Griddy's..."</p><p>"Woah, woah, woah - <em>you </em>were there?" </p><p>She paused, a deer caught in headlights. "Diego I can explain-"</p><p>The knife once pointed at Five was now pointed at the only female in the room. "You'd better. In fact, why don't you go sit next to your little buddy over there and tell us the whole damn story!"</p><p>Five suddenly stood, looking more awake than he had previously. He glowered at his knife-wielding brother, eyes darkening. "Hey, jackass! Don't you point your little knife at her. None of this is her fault."</p><p>"EVERYBODY COOL IT!" </p><p>Luther's exclamation shook the room, his deep voice penetrating each skull  in turn. Tensions were high as Bea took her chance to weave around Diego, passing Luther and sitting on the bed next to Five. On seeing her reach his side Five relaxed, lowering himself back down. </p><p>"We're all adults here, though admittedly not all of us look it," Luther stated, pointedly staring at Five. "Can we please just have an adult conversation about this?"</p><p>"Fine," Diego nodded. "Why don't the Kray Twins over there start us off by explaining how they were both at the doughnut shop a few nights ago."</p><p>Bea looked down at her lap as he spoke, balling her right hand into a fist. To an untrained eye, she appeared as though she were angry, directing that fury into her hand. However, in reality she was removing the water from her hair and clothing in order to make herself a little more comfortable. As the liquid drained off of her it collected into a sphere, falling with a soft splatter into a nearby bucket.</p><p>Whilst she was doing this, Five had begun to speak. "I meant it when I said none of this was her fault. They came to find me and she got caught in the crossfire. And, for the record, I never told her about my past employment."</p><p>"He didn't," she cut in, "I guessed it. I did try to tell you."</p><p>"When?" Diego asked.</p><p>"Just before your gym pal showed up at the door!"</p><p>Luther nodded. "That's right...she did."</p><p>"As for Griddy's," Five continued, "Bea came to find me. To talk. Then some bad people showed up and she helped me clean out the place."</p><p>"Clean out as in...?"</p><p>"Kill them, Luther, yes."</p><p>"That's when I started to get wrapped up in all of this shit. You can't help kill a small army with your long-lost brother and not start asking questions!"</p><p>Diego exhaled sharply, starting to pace on his feet. "Good, fine, so that explains why you were there with him and how you know so much about this. And now you can feel guilty because Patch is dead."</p><p>Bea stood, appalled by his words. "Why should I feel guilty? I didn't kill her!"</p><p>"You didn't have to!" Diego shouted. "You knew about Hazel and Cha-Cha from day one and said shit about it. Because <em>you </em>didn't say anything <em>I</em> couldn't warn her early enough and now it's too goddamn late!" At the end of his outburst he turned, kicking a chair over in his outrage. Starting for the door, he didn't turn around until called out by Five.</p><p>"I already told you going after them is a mistake, Diego. They've killed people far more dangerous than you."</p><p>"Yeah, we'll see about that," Diego concluded, leaving the room and slamming the door behind him.</p><p>In the ensuing silence Bea deflated, resting her elbows on her knees as she sat, face in her palms. Luther, still standing, questioned Five, his voice a lot gentler than before. "Earlier you mentioned your 'former employer'. What's this really about, Five? And don't give me any of this 'it's none of your business' crap, all right?"</p><p>Looking over to his sister, in her current state of despair, Five knew it was time to tell the truth. To give her the whole story. To let her in on his monstrous past. With a pessimistic sigh, he looked back to Luther. "Well, it's a long story."</p><p>
  <em>________________________________</em>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0020"><h2>20. t w e n t y</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"Well it's a long story."</p><p>Five spun his harrowing tale, details becoming increasingly more tragic and graphic as he went. He spoke of a woman known to him only as 'The Handler'. How she plucked him from his apocalyptic home and saved him from a lifetime of isolation. How, in return, his only option was to become a loyal member of the Commission - an organisation whose top priority was preserving the time continuum by any means necessary.</p><p>Both Bea and Luther listened intently, not daring to interrupt lest any parts of the story be lost. It was only towards the end of Five's confessions that Bea became aware of her elevated heart rate and increased breathing speed. What she was hearing was a nightmare. Her poor brother, <em>a child</em>, living a lifetime of isolation and given the opportunity to regain his place in a populated society...only to be tasked with destroying lives. To top it off, he took that deal, accepted his new fate, just for a glimmer of a promise that he could return to his family. <em>Everything he did, </em>she thought, <em>he did for us. </em>That thought made her the most miserable of all. </p><p>"They turned me into the perfect instrument for rehabilitation of the time continuum," Five continued. "Or 'corrections' as they called them." He winced as he said that, as if the memories behind the word were physically hurting him. "They didn't realize it, but I was biding my time - trying to figure out the right equation so I could get back. If I could just get back, I knew I could stop the apocalypse. Save the world." Suddenly, he looked up, making direct eye contact with Luther. "So I broke my contract."</p><p>And there it was. The catalyst to understanding every single event that had transpired over the last couple of days. Bea knew that Five had worked for an organisation; that he was their 'top player' as he had put it in the car ride to Vanya's. But now that organisation had a name. Now she understood just what he had done. Seeing his guilty face was enough to accept why he didn't want to tell her the facts in the first place - why his hand had to be forced in order for him to spill. And just like that she knew why Hazel and Cha-Cha were out to kill Five. <em>He betrayed them. </em>While this kind of 'betrayal' was totally admissible by Bea's standards, she could understand why the Commission may not have been as forgiving. </p><p>As Five finished, Bea stood, allowing her thoughts to consume her as she paced away from the bed. She missed the frown etched on Five's face as he watched her go, mistaking her emotions for revulsion towards his actions. Luther, who had moved away to make something for the boy to eat, returned and handed his brother a sandwich.</p><p>"So," Luther began, "you were a hit man?"</p><p>"Do you have to say it?" Bea asked, turning only her sullen face towards him, arms hugged tightly around herself. Her voice was soft, barely audible, but its impact was great.</p><p>"I was," Five cut in, accepting the plate and mug held out to him.</p><p>Luther frowned, returning to his seat. His mind was racing; he always knew that Five was steps ahead of the rest of the Umbrella kids, though he refused to admit it aloud. It somehow hadn't surprised him that his brother had turned to a life of, well, <em>villainy. </em>Five wasn't the most sympathetic person and Luther had often referred to his behaviour as 'robotic' when they were children. The emotions rolling off of him now, however, completely skewed and altered that view. Luther hadn't failed to notice the subtle looks given to Phoebe - the checks to determine how she was feeling. <em>He really does care about her a lot, </em>he thought to himself. Of course, Luther knew that Phoebe and Five had been best friends of sorts as children; where Number Eight's peppy attitudes had annoyed him, to Five they seemed endearing. Still, there were more questions to be asked and not all that much time left to ask them.</p><p>"I mean," Luther began, "you had a code, right? You didn't kill just anybody."</p><p>From her place beside the kitchenette, Bea perked up at this question, raising a concerned eyebrow. The answer that came from Five was one she had been dreading.</p><p>"No code. We took out anyone who messed with the timeline."</p><p>She felt cold. No; <em>arctic. </em>Like any joy or hope left residing inside her had vacated her body all at once. She visibly paled, dropping her arms from her side and stumbling backwards. As she did so, she bumped into the kitchen surface behind her, knocking over a plastic cup filled with cooking utensils. It fell with a crash as its contents spilled over the floor. Other than a quick glance at the source of the noise, neither of the men took much notice.</p><p>Luther's jaw had dropped too. As the self-designated leader of the Umbrella Academy, Luther stuck strongly to Reginald's aims: protect innocents and bring about justice. Five admitting he hadn't done so was incomprehensible. "What about <em>innocent </em>people?" He asked.</p><p>Five swallowed, gearing himself up for what he was about to say. "It was the only way I could get back here."</p><p>"But that's murder!"</p><p>"Jesus, Luther, grow up," he replied, snidely. "We're not kids anymore. There's no such thing as 'good guys' or 'bad guys'. There's just people, going about their lives. But when the world ends, all those people die...including our family." He sighed. "Time changes everything."</p><p>The way in which Five spoke about their family showed his true emotions like he was wearing them on his sleeve. He had suffered loss. He had seen his siblings' corpses strewn about in the rubble completely devoid of life. It was something no thirteen-year-old should ever have had to experience; regardless of their upbringing. </p><p>Bea had felt more emotion in the space of a week than she had over the last ten years. It seemed that being back with her loved ones had allowed her to open up. She didn't have to hide herself away anymore; pretend like everything was okay when it wasn't. <em>These </em>people understood her, related to her. One thing was for sure: she had cried far too much. It wasn't that crying was a bad thing particularly - it's simply that it made Bea feel weak. Why should she stand around gawping when she could buckle up and actually do something? Over a few minutes she realised; she was sad about what had happened to Five, of course she was. However, she dwelled on <em>why </em>these things had happened and it dawned on her quickly. <em>The Handler took advantage of him.  </em></p><p>That made her furious.</p><p>She straightened, eyes burning with passion and rage anew, and stalked closer to the others. "I'll kill them all for what they did to you."</p><p>In the eyes of the men, Bea's statement came from nowhere. Merely seconds ago she was standing by the wall like a ghost; pale and shaking. Now she looked pissed off and her fiery hair and eyes were aiding the look magnificently. Five looked at her, taken aback. "Excuse me?"</p><p>Fists clenched by her sides, Bea took a breath. "I will kill The Handler and Hazel and Cha-Cha and any other son-of-a-bitch who works at that corporation that ever did you wrong." Her words were calm and strong - and incredibly believable. This was a side to Bea that not many had seen. While she was known to be deadly (as Five had seen at the doughnut shop) and could turn her peppy personality on a dime (as Luther had seen when she stood up to him) this was different. Scary.</p><p>"With all due respect, they're a little out of your league."</p><p>Five's words seemed harsh but he meant well. Anyone who worked for the Commission had to be put through rigorous training in order to become elite level assassins. In reality, there was no way that his sister could take on the best of the best.</p><p>Bea scoffed in disbelief. "So you didn't see me take down those guys at Griddy's?"</p><p>"They're different Bea-"</p><p>"How?"</p><p>"Because they're goons! Thugs hired for security purposes. They're not like me!"</p><p>Bea heaved a sigh, looking down at her feet. Though her anger was still there, the adrenaline was slowly dissipating. "She prayed on you, Five. She took advantage." She looked up. "That's sick. Every person you had to kill, every innocent life, that's not on you. It's on her." </p><p>Running his hand messily through his hair, Five chuckled bitterly. Before, he was careful about upsetting her. He didn't want her to run away from him in horror. He could see, though, that she didn't blame him and therefore he was free to test the waters with the honest truth. "I did what I did. I never felt bad about it. I couldn't afford to feel bad about it."</p><p>"About murdering people who didn't deserve it just because someone told you to?" Luther piped up.</p><p>"Do you two not understand the concept of a 'contract'?" He was starting to become frustrated. "I signed it and that meant taking orders until it ended - or face the consequences."</p><p>"Which you're doing now."</p><p>Five smiled sarcastically. "Very good, Luther. You're catching on." His smile faded. "Besides, after a while you come to realise that the 'innocents' are a rarity. Most people deserved the fate I brought them."</p><p>"Five!" Bea was horrified at his statement. How could he justify saying that? "How can you possibly be the judge of that?"</p><p>"We studied them. Intensively. It was better for the world that they were no longer on it."</p><p>"Fascists and rapists a-and serial killers, yeah, but not people who made one mistake-!"</p><p>"Why do you care so much?" Five interrupted. "You're seriously telling me you've never hurt someone because they wronged you <em>once? </em>Never killed anyone because you simply didn't like them?"</p><p>That stopped her. She stared, mouth gaping like a fish. What could she say? This whole conversation was so confusing; Bea was trying to get Five to say that his hand was forced. She was desperately pushing for him to lay blame elsewhere and not at his own feet. Yet Five was stubbornly claiming his kills as his own choice. Though he cheated the Commission out of his full service, and ultimately used them, he did believe in some of the work he was doing. Some of his victims, though outstanding citizens ninety-nine percent of the time, would eventually come to make a decision that would destroy countless lives. Wiping out their existence really <em>would </em>help preserve the timeline as it should be. </p><p>As for why his statement stopped Bea in her tracks well...she couldn't say no to his questions. She had killed because she felt wronged; because she really, truly, abhorred someone. Her eyes flitted between Five and Luther. This couldn't come out now, could it? The world was ending in four days and telling Klaus had been so cathartic. Five had laid bare what was weighing on his soul and he deserved the same from her. So she let it out.</p><p>"I killed my mother."</p><p>-------------------------------------------</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0021"><h2>21. t w e n t y . o n e</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <b>_________________________________________</b>
</p><p>
  <b>
    <em>*11 years ago*</em>
  </b>
</p><p>
  <em>It wasn't a big house by any means. It stood separated from its neighbours; a picturesque family home. The antithesis of what she had grown up in for the first seven years of her life. Back then it was damp corners, leaking holes in the ceiling and peeling wallpaper. Her mother wasn't a rich woman by any means, and an unexpected pregnancy had led her to becoming disowned and unloved by her devout Christian family. And what did that lead to with Bea? A resentful mother who blamed her for every hardship that befell them. It was especially unfair to blame a newborn child for a situation over which neither party had any control - yet that was the reality.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Bea's biological mother was only nineteen when she fell pregnant. She had tried to explain to her own mother that there was no man involved. That on the morning of October 1, 1989, she hadn't been pregnant and by the afternoon not only had she ballooned but she had also given birth to a tiny baby girl. "That child is the spawn of Satan!" her mother would yell at her, shoving her things into a suitcase as she rushed her daughter and granddaughter out of her home. There was nothing more to be said between them ever again.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>After losing her home and family, Bea's mother had retreated to a squalid little property a few miles away. It was all that could be afforded with what little money she had stashed away. She had no support, no prospects for the future, and a daughter that she was admittedly afraid of. Over the next few years, Bea's mother had found herself a boyfriend who was understanding and who came with enough money to survive on. Life was good - for a while. Eventually, the boyfriend left and was replaced by another, then another, then another; there were eight in total over the seven years Bea and her mother were together. Each one was more important than Bea. Her mother made that painfully obvious.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Her powers manifested when she was two. Her mother had placed her in the kitchen sink to be bathed and had stepped away as her boyfriend called her over from the adjacent living room. Infant Bea had never been taught how to swim, so when she had slipped into the water she began to drown. Before this was possible, the water in the sink exploded upwards, hitting the ceiling with great force and dispelling itself outwards. Her cries were what caught her mother's attention. Walking back leisurely into the kitchen, Bea's mother was shocked to see her daughter's makeshift bath bone dry. It only went downhill from there. When Bea was four, she discovered that she could make water droplets levitate. For that...she was scolded and disciplined with the palm of her mother's boyfriend's hand. He left them after that - an event for which, of course, Bea was blamed. "You really are the spawn of the devil," her mother would tell her on a regular basis.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>By the age of seven, Bea had taught herself to read as her mother wouldn't. She had taught herself how good children should act by watching others outside the window, because her mother consistently told her she was 'bad'. She had found a way to provide food for herself by sneaking out and eating from restaurant dumpsters, because what little food her mother could afford would be better suited for herself and her boyfriend-of-the-moment. It was truly a miserable existence.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Bea had never forgiven her 'mother' for the way she had treated her, and she certainly hadn't forgiven her for abandoning her when it all became </em>
  <b>
    <em>too difficult. </em>
  </b>
  <em>True - her existence with the Hargreeves was a far sight better than anything she had ever experienced and she was sadistically grateful to have been abandoned. But the feeling of rejection had never left her. And after ten years she was ready to get answers, whether her 'mother' wanted to give them to her or not. She was disparate from her younger self now. She was a goddamn superhero and she had ways of retrieving information from unwilling parties.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>So there she stood in the rain, wooden door before her, fists clenched by her sides. She pressed the doorbell, the chimes reverberating.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Footsteps. </em>
  <em>The door creaked open.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"Can I help you?" There she was; the woman who had 'raised' her. She was older now, in her mid-thirties, and appearing radiantly healthy. By simply looking at the woman and her surroundings, no-one would have been able to guess that her past was so sordid. She looked happy, smiling with bright eyes, flushed cheeks and full, coloured lips. Bea was pissed. How dare she look so happy! How dare she have the audacity to act as if she had forgotten what she had done; to have moved on so easily. Any ounce of nervousness or hesitation was gone and in its' place was pure anger.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Bea looked up, bright orange eyes blazing with rage. She saw the shift on her mother's face as recognition flashed across her ocean eyes. "Hey, Mom. I have some questions, if that's not too much to ask," she said, voice dangerously steady. She smiled, but there was no warmth behind it. "Can I come in?"</em>
</p><p><em>The immaculately painted front door slammed shut quickly, and Bea heard the distinct sounds of bolts locking. </em>So that's how she wants to play it, huh? <em>Bea thought. </em>In that case, I'd better show her I'm not here to mess around. <em>Gathering in her hands the rainwater that ran down her sleeves, Bea created a large battering ram, swinging it with significant force towards the handle of the locked door. It worked with great effect, causing said door to gape open and leave the Hargreeves girl with a full view of her mother's living room.</em></p><p>
  <em>"Stay back!" the terrified woman screamed, cowering flush against the far-side wall. "I will call the police!"</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Bea stepped forward, allowing her weapon to dissipate. She spoke evenly. "There's no need for that. I'm not here to hurt you; I just want answers. And if I were you? I'd provide them."</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Her mother, now clutching her cross shaped necklace tight in her right hand, continued to scream. "I will have no child of Satan under this roof, do you hear me? I-I want you to leave!"</em>
</p><p>
  <em>The redheaded girl stepped further into the house, closing the busted door behind her. She wiped her feet politely, before finding a seat on the plush sofa and perching there comfortably. "I've travelled a long way to be here and I've waited a long time for answers. So I'm afraid the only way that I'll leave now is if you make me." As she spoke, she noticed the terrified woman across from her glance to her left down the hallway, before throwing her sights back to her discarded daughter. "But you can't do that, can you?"</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"I-"</em>
</p><p><em>"Please sit. I could always make you but I think that would cull the peaceful atmosphere I'm trying to create here." As if to prove her point, Bea daintily crossed one leg over the other as she settled further into the sofa. She continued to stare at the other woman in the room, not failing to notice just how similar they really looked now that she was older. They both had the same shock of auburn hair, the same cheekbones and the same round, curious doe eyes. However, they were not the same. As her stare steadily became a glare, Bea suddenly sensed movement to her right. This was immediately followed by a familiar clicking sound. </em>A gun. <em>Bea blinked, calmly turning her head towards the sound and observing the sight before her. She looked down the barrel of the gun before casting her gaze upwards and into a pair of defensive brown eyes. "Hello," she stated coolly, smile gracing her full lips.</em></p><p>
  <em>"You'd better get out of my house and stop harassing my wife or I swear to God I will shoot you," he warned. His voice was gruff and deep - not to mention full of malice. Bea knew he wasn't bluffing. She'd seen this type of situation many times on missions and was trained to recognize when someone was being truthful or not. She was definitely unafraid.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"Will God make your bullet fly straighter if you swear to him before you shoot?" she joked, laughing lightly. The man flinched, clutching his gun tighter. "Sorry; little joke. I'm Phoebe, your wife's daughter." She flicked her eyes towards her mother, then back to the man. "Did you know she had a daughter?"</em>
</p><p>
  <em>He blinked, swallowing visibly. "Yes."</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Bea continued, relentless. "Do you know what I am? What I can do?"</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"Yes."</em>
</p><p><em>"Is that why you're pulling a gun on a seventeen-year-old girl?" Bea tilted her head, feigning an air of innocence. "You know, I came here to have a civilized chat. To get some answers to questions that I think it's fair I have. And you're standing there pointing a gun at me. Now I understand that I'm technically a 'home invader' so you're well within your rights to ask me to leave with a deadly weapon. Tell me this, though, is it </em>really <em>necessary?"</em></p><p>
  <em>Her mother was still shaking, still desperately clinging to her symbol of faith. She knew this day would come, ever since she saw the newspaper article detailing a child with the ability to control water using her powers to apprehend criminals. She had never seen Reginald Hargreeves. She had never known just </em>
  <b>
    <em>who </em>
  </b>
  <em>she was leaving her child with and she had regretted it ever since. Not for the reasons a mother should, but because her monster of a daughter had only grown stronger. Because of that, she knew that one day she would come knocking, demanding answers. And she would have to give them to her whether she liked it or not.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"Howard." The man turned towards his wife, momentarily letting his guard down. "Put the gun down. I'll talk to her."</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"Are you sure?" he asked, putting his guard back up.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>There was an uncomfortable moment of silence as the woman walked forward, sitting on the sofa opposite her daughter. "Yes," she replied simply.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>The man now known to Bea as 'Howard' complied, lowering his arms and moving to sit protectively next to his wife.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"Talk," her mother demanded, a waver in her voice.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Uncrossing her legs, Bea leaned forward, resting her elbows on her knees. "You know what you did - I'm not going to sit here and retell the entire story of my beginnings. I just want to know one thing: do you regret it?"</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Her mother's whole body was shaking, nerves very apparent. Her daughter didn't need to specify with words what she meant; it was understood. The hidden meaning was really a question of did she regret treating her child the way that she did. "No." Her answer was firm, and exactly what Bea was expecting. She had a comeback prepared.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"You don't? Do you know that everything I am came from someone else? I taught myself how to be an honest to God human being by watching passers by outside the window. I fed myself, I washed myself, I </em>
  <em>educated </em>
  <em>myself; all to try and be the exact opposite of </em>
  <b>
    <em>you</em>
  </b>
  <em>." With her final word she jabbed a finger harshly in the direction of her mother. "You look at me and the powers I have and you call me 'bad'. You call me 'the spawn of Satan'. You call me a 'monster'." She laughed, voice growing louder and more harsh as she continued. "But that's you! What kind of person knowingly mistreats a child? Abandons them outside a rich man's house, chained to a fence? Did you convince yourself that was a last resort? Or did you know that you'd eventually toss me aside?"</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Howard, who had thrown an arm around his wife during the girl's tirade, spoke up. "That's enough!"</em>
</p><p>
  <em>The girl glared back. "This doesn't involve you, Howard." She paused all of a sudden, humour lighting up her pretty face. "Wait, maybe it does. Answer me this, Howie, did you marry her despite knowing she was a child abuser?"</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Howard's expression grew dark. "She did the best she could-"</em>
</p><p>
  <em>"Do you truly believe that?" Rising to her feet, Bea looked down at the couple opposite her. This had gone exactly how she expected. There was no remorse in the eyes of the woman who gave birth to her. She didn't regret a single thing she had done. Coming here may have given Bea closure but it was a mistake and a complete waste of time. "I can't believe it ever crossed my mind that you had changed. You're still the selfish, cruel woman that I had the misfortune of coming out of." With her final word she turned harshly, heading towards the door. She was prepared to leave without another word, leaving the pair of them to stew in their own self worth. But she stopped dead when she heard it. The click of a gun.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>Rotating around she looked back. Howard had stood, pointing his pistol at her. For a moment the only feeling floating through her body was white-hot rage. And then it happened. She lost control of her senses, letting the emotion take over her entire being. Water flooded in from every direction, masking the sound of gunfire as it whirled around the room. Within minutes it was over. Bea collapsed to her knees, breathing heavily as she sat in the pool of her own destruction.</em>
</p><p>
  <em>She'd drowned them both.</em>
</p><p>_________________________________________</p><p>
  <b>*Present day*</b>
</p><p>"I spent the next hour cleaning up and staging it as an accident. It was...the only thing I could think of to do." Bea had poured her heart out to Five and Luther, managing to look them both in the eye as she did so; something she had failed to do with Klaus. She felt strong enough to leave in all of the gritty details - and how she had to spend the next month hiding from the police until she was certain that it was safe to go to the airport and catch a flight home.</p><p>Five was silent when she finished, surprised at what he had just heard. He'd seen Bea at her deadliest, slicing through men with katanas made of water. He knew she had the ability to kill even as a child. But he had missed her later teenage years. He hadn't known that she'd been carrying the guilt of what she had done on her shoulders for all of these years. In a perverse way he was proud. All of the Hargreeves children knew that Bea's mother had abandoned her; Reginald had practically announced it as the reason she was at the Academy in the first place. Bea had confided in Five the treatment she had received as a young child and he hated her mother on her behalf. Hearing the full tale now made him proud of her strength. The old bag had it coming.</p><p>Luther, on the other hand, was shocked to silence. He was never privy to the details as he and Bea were simply never close. For a brief moment he felt regret to his actions on their eighteenth birthday. He had no idea of what she had been through, convincing himself and the others that she hadn't been in contact because she hadn't wanted to be.</p><p>"When I eventually got back to the Academy I was so relieved, so ready for it all to be over. To get back to normal. But we all know how it really went." She looked Luther square in the eyes.</p><p>He gulped, running his hand through his hair. "Phoebe, I'm...I'm sorry. If I knew-"</p><p>"You'd have said the exact same thing. Don't pretend like you wouldn't have." She shrugged. "You didn't like me! I think if you'd have known the truth you still would've found a way to convince yourself that I left everyone behind because I wanted to." She smiled softly at him for the first time in her life. "I appreciate the apology, though. And I don't know about you but I'm so over this childish rivalry that we have."</p><p>Despite himself, Luther smiled. He had seen a completely new side to Phoebe Hargreeves over the past couple of days and he'd be lying if he said he didn't have an ounce of respect for her. She had stood up to him, fought for his- <em>her -</em>family with incredible loyalty and could switch to maturity when the situation called for it. Sure, she was still ridiculously immature and he wouldn't go as far as to say they were friends, but she was right. The end of the world was coming and there was no time for childhood rivalries. He held his hand out towards her. "Me too."</p><p>She shook his hand, cementing their truce.</p><p>"So, Five?" He looked up at his sister. "I know what it's like to kill someone just because I didn't like them."</p><p>"Okay so, in conclusion, I'm a killer, you're a killer, and Luther kills the mood in every room he enters so we're all square, correct?"</p><p>"Hey!" Luther protested, ignored by the others.</p><p>"Correct," Bea smiled.</p><p>"Let's forget about the past and focus on the future, which is imminently going to be wiped out if we don't figure out a way to stop the apocalypse." Five stood, heading towards the door. "Diego is currently a lost cause because he's most likely going to get himself killed and we have no time to chase after him. I propose we head to the Academy and plan our next move."</p><p>His sister nodded, wringing her hands. "Going back to the Academy sounds like a good idea. I think our next move has to be hunting Klaus down."</p><p>"Bea-"</p><p>She kept her voice calm as she interrupted him. "No, Five. I understand the apocalypse is coming, blah, blah, but I have to prioritise Klaus. I know he was at that motel and there's only so far he could have gone." She cast her mind back, closing her eyes to recall any details of the motel room. Then it hit her. <em>The grate was open.</em> She opened her eyes. "The grate was open!" The men in the room looked at her curiously. "If he crawled out through the air vent then he escaped and he couldn't have gone far. I'll scout out around the area and see if I can find him."</p><p>Five sighed. "Fine, but we get to the Academy first. If he escaped like you think then he may have already found his way back there."</p><p>"You're right, okay," Bea agreed, heading out the door with Five. She stopped at the entryway, turning back to Luther. "Are you coming?"</p><p>_________________________________________</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0022"><h2>22. t w e n t y . t w o</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"I'll meet you both back there," Five stated as the trio exited the gym, immediately disappearing from view in a flash of blue light. </p><p>Both Bea and Luther sighed, shaking their heads lightly at their brother's behaviour. "You think he can teleport other people but just chooses not to?" Luther pondered, beginning the trek with Bea walking beside him.</p><p>In response, Bea let out a short, breathy laugh, thinking over Luther's question. "It's Five; he can pretty much do anything he puts his mind to. I'm sure he <em>could </em>take us with him but it's probably a lot of effort. Especially since-"</p><p>"Don't say it," Luther stated, cutting her off. </p><p>She looked up at him inquisitively. "Hmm? What did you think I was going to say?" she asked.</p><p>He shrugged, looking down at her. Anyone observing the pair would laugh at the comical difference in stature. "I don't know, something about the effort it would take to teleport someone as 'big as me'?" </p><p>His response stopped Bea in her tracks. Physically. She stared at him with an incredulous expression, trying with difficulty to stop herself from laughing too hard. "I mean," she began, "I was going to comment on the fact that Five was blind drunk not too long ago and that it might have affected his powers." She paused, throwing a hand over her mouth as she failed to hold back the laughter any longer. "But good self-burn!"</p><p>Rolling his eyes at his own mistake, Luther resumed walking, prompting the redhead to have to jog a little in order to catch up with him. They were silent for a while, footsteps echoing on the pavement as they kept up the pace, side by side. For Bea, it was an unusual occurrence. Here she was, inches away from her childhood nemesis, feeling strangely content. She didn't feel like punching the daylight out of him, nor throwing petty jibes his way, or even flicking manifested water droplets at his face to piss him off like she did as a child. She had literally just <em>laughed </em>at his 'joke', something she never could have predicted would happen in a million years. It felt...good. Good to let the tension out of her body; good to not feel so much hate within herself. They weren't friends - that was still a long way off. She hadn't suddenly upped and forgiven him for every time he had bullied her as both a child and a teenager. But he had apologized and it felt so real, so legitimate and heartfelt. She saw the pain and the guilt on his face when he recounted the way he had behaved the last time they had seen each other before Reginald's death. That tied with the threat of the world ending solidified in her mind that enough was enough; she had made the decision to offer a truce and he had taken it. So, as she walked beside him, she felt calm.</p><p>Luther, on the other hand, felt awkward. She had laughed; yet it felt as though it were more <em>with </em>him than <em>at </em>him. This was Phoebe, the girl who he had never trusted, never liked, and persistently harassed for no real reason. Her confessions in the gym had deeply affected him and his apology was sincere. He recognized that she had understood that, considering her offer of peace between them. He was strangely happy that their feud was over. As much as he wanted to relax fully, however, he simply couldn't allow himself to. He had to remain on guard, especially since he knew what she was really capable of when she was angry. To him, she had the potential to be a ticking time bomb.</p><p>In reality, Luther wasn't aware of how much training Bea had done by herself over the last ten years. How she had practiced self-control every day in order to not accidentally lash out without meaning to. How strong she had really become.</p><p>_____________________________________</p><p>Around fifteen minutes after they first set off, Bea and Luther arrived back at the Academy, splitting up instantly. Bea entered the building first, wrenching the large front door open and racing upstairs to Klaus' room to check if he was there. Her shoes clattered against the tiles as she ran, creating a hollow sound that rang throughout the property. Out of breath, she arrived outside Klaus' door, noticing that it was already open. "Klaus?" she shouted, bursting through the open doorway. "Klaus?" she called again, to no avail. Spinning harshly on her heels she glanced down the corridor, seeing blood stains on the tiles that she swore were not there moments ago. Bea paled, heart dropping to her stomach. Slowly and silently, she followed the bloody footprints into the bathroom, letting out a small gasp at what she saw. The bathtub and surrounding tiles were wet, indicating that it had been in use relatively recently. On top of that there were bloody hand prints on the tub's edge. <em>Could this have been Klaus? </em>she thought. If the kidnappers had tortured him like she assumed they had, then he would have been covered in blood when he arrived back. She shuddered at the thought, heading out into the corridor once more. "Klaus!" she tried again, more frantically this time.</p><p>"He's not here!" came a distant response. Bea recognized the owner of the voice to be Five, somewhere down the hall. </p><p>Pacing towards the source of the noise, she paused in his doorway, staring at him with burdened intensity. "You checked everywhere?" she asked, folding her arms as she leaned against the door frame, a worried frown on her face.  </p><p>Five faced her from the window, chalk in hand, pausing momentarily in his efforts to deface the wall with his scribblings. "I didn't need to. He was in his room and then I saw him leaving with Diego." He turned to his mannequin, who was perched on a nearby chair. "Does this look right to you, Dolores?"</p><p>Bea straightened, moving away from the door frame and not once letting her brother leave her sight. "So he was here? What did he say?"</p><p>Five tutted to himself, continuing to write on his wall. "Bea, I don't really have time to go over this right now. Can't you see I'm a <em>little </em>busy?"</p><p>His blasé attitude was like a catalyst to her. Without another word, Bea marched over to her brother, orange eyes lit up like a fire. She was tired of people withholding information - end of the world be damned. Wrenching the chalk out of his hand she held it above him, tormenting him as if she were the older sibling. "Tell. Me. Now." She bit out. Her tone was sharp; she wasn't messing around and Five knew it. Life had been hard for his favourite sister and he appreciated that she had become a little unhinged due to her experiences. Bea could flip between moods like a switch; she could be sensitive and sweet or downright frightening. A little like himself, truth be told. Five also knew how much his sister cared for Klaus. This wasn't something she would let go of without a fight, and if he wanted to continue his musings he realised he'd have to tell her.</p><p>"Fine." He mimicked her previous actions, folding his arms and leaning backwards against the wall as he ground his teeth together. "Klaus escaped from Hazel and Cha-Cha just like you said he did. To us, it appeared as though he came straight back here - but he didn't."</p><p>Bea frowned once more, confused at Five's meaning. "What do you mean?"</p><p>Five smirked. "He took their case." Not seeing any recognition across the woman's face, he elaborated.  "He time travelled, Bea."</p><p>Her eyes widened as her mouth opened in shock. "I'm sorry, what?" she asked, tilting her head as she blinked more than necessary. "H-he <em>time travelled?"</em></p><p>"Yep," Five said, popping the 'p'. </p><p>"So...so how long was he gone for?"</p><p>"Around ten months."</p><p>"TEN MONTHS?" Bea exclaimed. Taking a few steps backwards, she hit Five's bed with the back of her knees, forcing her to stumble into a sitting position. She braced herself with her hands, placing them palm down on either side of her. Letting out a long breath, she stared past her brother and out of the window. "Fuck." Without warning, she caught Five's emerald eyes, her own eyes narrowing. "Just to clarify, he was here and you," she waved a hand in his general direction, "let him leave? No, you <em>watched </em>him leave after presumably seeing him in no fit state to be wandering around the city?"</p><p><em>There's that famous mood switch again, </em>Five thought to himself. Bea's emotions were typically more erratic when conversation involved the guy she loved. Five meant it when he said he didn't have time to go over this with Bea; he was on the cusp of solving one of the biggest mysteries of the apocalypse: the trigger. If he could work out the trigger then he could stop it a hell of a lot easier by altering the very timeline itself. Inside, he was becoming frustrated, but he couldn't let it show - not yet. "He didn't want to stick around and talk to me. I'm not his keeper."</p><p>Tone still on edge, Bea kept glaring. "You don't think that maybe I wanted to speak to him?" She raised her voice as she continued. "To make sure he was okay?"</p><p>Five raised his own voice to match his sister's. "He wouldn't have talked to you anyway!"</p><p>"And why not?"</p><p>"Because he said so himself!"</p><p>Bea hesitated, trying to steady her breathing. "He said that?"</p><p>"His exact words were 'I can't face her yet'. Take from that what you will."</p><p>What could she take from it? That it wasn't a case of Klaus not wanting to speak with her; it was that he couldn't 'face' her yet. What exactly did that mean? Bea, of course, thought the worse. <em>Something must have happened in his last ten months - something so bad that he's afraid or embarrassed to tell me about it. </em>That wasn't right though. They didn't keep secrets from each other, not anymore. She'd have to be strong here. She would have to confront Klaus as soon as she could and demand that he talk to her, demand that he tell her everything. She cared enough, however, that she understood he'd need space for a while. Five had said he wasn't Klaus' keeper and neither was she.</p><p>Zoning back into her current situation, she noticed that neither her nor Five had said anything in at least sixty seconds. They had just been staring at each other as she had spaced out. Five, seeing the despaired look gradually evolving onto Bea's face, softened his gaze and spoke first. "I don't know for certain what happened to him but he looked pretty shaken up. Don't take it personally."</p><p>She nodded in response. "I won't." She sobered. "You said he's with Diego?"</p><p>"Yeah, they left together. I was surprised to see Diego still here, though. I would've thought he'd have gone straight for Hazel and Cha-Cha as soon as he left the gym."</p><p>Bea hummed. "I suppose even he's not stupid enough to go without a plan - no matter how emotional he got." She shuffled back on Five's bed, resting her back against the headboard with her knees drawn to her chest. "If Klaus is with Diego then at least he's not alone."</p><p>"Exactly." Five moved off of the wall, holding his hand out to Bea. "Now, can I have my chalk back?"</p><p>"Oh, yeah, sorry." She placed the white chalk in his awaiting hand. "What are you doing anyway?" Scanning the walls, she saw that Five had written multiple illegible (to her) equations on its surface.</p><p>"Saving the world," Five declared. </p><p>Bea sensed his tone; she had taken up enough of his time and right now it was probably best to let him get on with it. So she sat in silence for a while, watching him at work. It was almost as if he had transformed into another person altogether. Ironically, he seemed older, wiser and much more put together than he had previously shown himself to be. <em>This is Five in his element. </em></p><p>_____________________________________</p><p>Time continued to pass. At one point, Bea had left the room briefly to change clothes, now donning a lighter coloured pair of jeans a simple black t-shirt. If she was going to continue to stumble into situations whereby she randomly became doused with water then a t-shirt was a lot more comfortable than a sweater. Five moved quickly around his room, noting down his findings and inquiries on the walls and occasionally consulting Dolores for her opinion. Bea didn't dare question whether or not the mannequin was actually communicating with Five or if he was imagining it - stranger things had happened. She kept herself calm and occupied by manipulating an orb of water in her hands, forming it into different shapes or skillfully rolling it around her palms. The water had come from a glass on Five's desk. She didn't know if he had noticed her take it; if he had he hadn't said anything. </p><p>Eventually, she was ushered off of Five's bed with a muttering of 'move', and so she now sat in an armchair by the door, continuing to fiddle with the sphere of water.</p><p>"Oh," Five muttered, breaking the silence. Bea glanced up, pausing in her movements. "Okay, I think I've got something, Dolores. It's tenuous, but promising." </p><p>As he spoke, heavy footsteps sounded from outside the room. They gradually grew louder, indicating that someone was approaching. Bea evaporated the water from her hands, uncrossing her legs as she peered around the corner to have a better view of the approaching figure. </p><p>"What is all this?" Luther asked as he entered, confusion plainly written on his face. By this point in time, every inch of available wall space had been filled with illustrations, diagrams and equations, as well as various, seemingly random words. It was quite an unexpected sight to behold, especially since Five was still writing as he stood on his bed.</p><p>"It's a probability map," Five replied, not bothering to turn around. </p><p>Luther threw a quick, questioning glance to the woman in the armchair, who shrugged in response. Looking back to Five, Luther continued his interrogation, stepping further into the room. "Probability of what?"</p><p>Finally pausing in his work, Five turned, albeit it briefly. "Of whose death could save the world." Returning to his work, he missed Bea sitting up straighter, raising an eyebrow as she did so. She had belatedly received an answer to her previously posed question. "I've narrowed it down to four," Five concluded.</p><p>"Are you saying one of these four people causes the apocalypse?" Luther asked, pointing to the list of names.</p><p>"No," Five said, voice tinged with annoyance, "I'm saying that their death might prevent it."</p><p>"Oh."</p><p>In the ensuing silence, Bea worked out Five's plan. She figured that his idea hinged on the concept that certain, minuscule events could alter the entire fabric of time. If the person Five had deduced to be a trigger was taken out, then the apocalypse would never happen. Simple.</p><p>It wasn't as simple for Luther. After a beat of silence, he spoke up. "I'm not following."</p><p>Five sighed, facing Luther fully. "Time is fickle, Luther. The slightest alteration in events can lead to massively different outcomes in the time continuum. The butterfly effect."</p><p><em>Nailed it, </em>Bea smiled.</p><p>"So," Five proceeded to explain, "all I have to do is find the people with the greatest probability of impacting the timeline, wherever they may be, and kill them." He hopped down from his bed, hastily making notes in a nearby book. </p><p>Luther walked closer to the list of names, so as to be able to read them. "Milton Green," he read. "So who's he, a terrorist or something?"</p><p>"I believe he is a gardener."</p><p>The larger man was shocked. Not too long ago they were discussing the taking of innocent lives and how wrong it was. Hell, even Phoebe had spoken up against it and yet at present she wasn't protesting. "You can't be serious. Phoebe, surely you're against this?"</p><p>Bea looked over to him apathetically. "It's not ideal, and I don't necessarily condone it, but it's four lives over billions." She still stuck to her morals - killing innocent people was atrociously wrong. But there was always an extraordinary exception to the rule. Luther disagreed.</p><p>"This is madness, Five. You c-" He cut himself off, noticing Five pull a long, black case out from under his bed. Luther recognised it immediately as a gun case. "Wh-where'd you get that?"</p><p>"In Dad's room," Five stated, casually. "I think he used it to shoot a rhinoceros." He drew out a large rifle from the case, leaning it against his shoulder and checking to see if it was loaded. "It's similar to the model I used at work. Nice shoulder fit and highly reliable."</p><p>Luther was perplexed and appalled at his brother's behaviour and attitude towards the impending situation. "But you can't-" he started, "This guy Milton is just an innocent man!"</p><p>"It's basic math," Five argued. "His death could potentially save the lives of billions." He nodded at his sister. "Bea gets it, why can't you?" Bea stood, suddenly being drawn into the conversation. "If I did nothing, he'd be dead in four days anyway. The apocalypse won't spare anyone."</p><p>Luther glared at both Five and Bea, who now stood at Five's side, frustrated that they were seemingly going against all of their Academy training. "We don't do this kind of thing."</p><p>"<em>We </em>are not doing anything," Five spat. "<em>I </em>am."</p><p>"I can't let you go and kill innocent people, Five, no matter how many lives you'll save."</p><p>"Luther-" Bea tried. She was, unfortunately, ignored.</p><p>"Well, good luck stopping me." Five turned to leave, brushing past Bea as he went. She looked between the two men briefly before deciding that she would follow Five out and leave Luther to his thoughts. She had barely taken a step before Luther reacted, crossing the metaphorical line as he forcefully grabbed Dolores by the neck and held her out of the open window.</p><p>"You're not going anywhere," he threatened, intending to drop Five's inanimate companion to her demise should he refuse to cooperate. Five span around in response, drawing his gun level with Luther's head. No one threatened his Dolores' life as leverage. </p><p>Because of Five's quick actions, Bea had to jump to the side and out of harm's way. Her pulse quickened as the situation escalated. There was no doubt in her mind that Five had it in himself to shoot his brother. "Woah!" she exclaimed, holding her palms out and trying to ease the tension. </p><p>"Put. Her. Down." Five grit his teeth in seething anger.</p><p>Luther's voice remained level and calm. If he was afraid of the imminent threat to his life he certainly didn't show it. "Put the gun down. You're not killing anyone today. I know she's important to you, so don't make me do this. It's either her or the gun. You decide."</p><p>As the standoff rallied on, Bea began to breath a little heavier. She wasn't scared of the boy with the gun next to her. She was appalled at Luther's actions. What Luther saw as just a mannequin, Five saw as a living, breathing person. <em>Would you ever threaten a human life like this? </em>Bea thought. <em>No, you wouldn't. </em>If someone were to research 'taking things too far' in the dictionary, there would be a picture of Luther underneath it. As much as she wanted to protest against all of this, Bea knew that keeping silent was the most appropriate thing to do. She would just have to wait and see how this played out. </p><p>It seemed Luther could wait no longer and, staying true to his threat, he dropped his hostage out of the window, moving away quickly. </p><p>"No!" Bea heard herself say, throwing a useless hand forward. Luckily, Five cared too much and teleported over to save her life, dropping his gun in the process. Bea faced Luther, who was now holding the gun and smiling, and seethed at him. "You are a sick bastard." Pushing past him she exited the room, heading downstairs to cool off. </p><p>She didn't stay to hear the rest of Five and Luther's conversation, only becoming aware of their plan when she heard Five call, rushing down the stairs towards her. "Let's go," he barked, carrying what looked like a black briefcase in his hand.</p><p>"Go where?" she questioned, hastening to her feet from her place on the steps as she tried to keep up with him. </p><p>"I have another plan."</p><p>Those words were all she needed. He was asking her to come with him which meant he trusted her; maybe she could even be of use to him, something that made her heart fill with pride. As she followed him outside, he led them to an old fashioned black car...with Luther sitting impatiently in the driver's seat. As the two of them approached Five subtly mumbled to her. "Wipe that glare off of your face, it's all good now."</p><p>She looked at him disbelievingly.</p><p>"Seriously, Bea."</p><p>"But Dolores-"</p><p>"Is fine." Five greatly appreciated how much Bea cared about Dolores. When he was flitting in and out of consciousness at the gym, he had caught her interacting with his long-term companion, reassuring her that Five would be fine. It warmed him and reminded him of her sweet-natured core; one she wore on her sleeve so frequently in their youth.</p><p>Bea relented, rolling her eyes and relaxing her face. "If you're not mad about it then I'm not either." </p><p>They both entered the vehicle, Five in the front next to Luther and Bea in the back between the pair. As Luther started the car, he glanced in the rear-view mirror, seeing only a suspiciously smiling redhead mouthing the words 'thin ice' at him. <em>This is going to be a long drive.</em></p><p>____________________________________</p>
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<a name="section0023"><h2>23. t w e n t y . t h r e e</h2></a>
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    <p>The drive was long and, for the most part, silent. It wasn't the optimal family road trip by any means; Bea spent the first quarter of it glaring icily into the rear-view mirror, catching Luther's cerulean eyes every time he glanced up to check his surroundings. After a while, however, that game became tiresome and her face was beginning to ache, so she took to staring out of the window instead, watching the world zoom by in a mix of blues and beiges. For Bea, car journeys certainly weren't as thrilling as motorcycle journeys - there was no rush of wind coating her entire body as she tore through the tarmac. She made a hasty mental note to take her newly acquired Harley out for a spin once the world was fixed to not implode and kill everyone.</p><p>Five, meanwhile, was feeling very tense. He had a plan, sure, but it was incredibly risky and not exactly his first choice. He'd have to leave his family again for an unprecedented amount of time and he knew Bea would react negatively once she realised what he was planning to do. He quickly looked into the right-side wing mirror, noticing his sister staring forlornly into the passing scenes of blurry trees and yellow fields. She appeared relaxed in her naivety, the opposite of how she would have been had she known the truth. <em>I'm doing this for you, </em>he thought to himself. <em>For everyone.</em></p><p>After just over an hour of travel the car finally stopped, pulling steadily to a halt along an expansive stretch of road. Unbuckling his seat belt, Five sighed, a sound overflowing with a virulent mix of anticipation and melancholy. He broke the silence of the vehicle, speaking directly to Luther. "You know, I never enjoyed it," he said.</p><p>"What?" Luther asked.</p><p>"The killing," Five clarified. </p><p>Bea listened quietly from her position in the backseat, coming to the conclusion that this was a direct reference to the conversation the two men had previously had - after she had stormed out of the bedroom. She rested her head against the plush leather seat as they continued, peering out of the window to her left so as not to appear as though she was eavesdropping. </p><p>"I mean, I was...I was good at my work and I took pride it in," he paused, looking Luther directly in the eye. "But it never gave me pleasure." He looked forward once more. "I think it was all those years alone. Solitude can do funny things to the mind."</p><p>Gently perking up, Bea leaned forward and positioned herself between the two front seats. This was certainly a conversation she wanted in on and she assumed Five wouldn't have mentioned it out loud had he not planned to include her. She felt his words affect her deeply, like an immediate punch to the gut. She could relate to his plight; knew what solitude felt like. Though she could never, ever compare her experiences to his, she still understood.</p><p>Luther understood too, it seemed. "Yeah, well, you were gone for such a long time. I only spent four years on the moon, but that was more than enough. It's the being alone that breaks you."</p><p>"I was completely on my own for just over a year," Bea added, staring down at the briefcase nestled securely between Five and Luther. "Street life is hard, especially with a guilty conscience. I kind of...pushed people away for a while." She saw Five nod from her peripheral vision. "I know I can't exactly compare that to either of your experiences, but I do know what total isolation feels like."</p><p>Noticing the mood in the car steadily becoming more somber, Luther quickly changed the subject. Motioning towards the briefcase, he rested his arm on top of it. "You think they'll buy it?"</p><p>Five looked over. "Well, what I do know is that they're desperate. It's like a cop losing his gun. If the Commission finds out, they'll be in deep shit. Oh, not to mention the fact that they'll be stuck here until they get it back."</p><p>"Wait," Bea cut in. She hadn't truly known what they were doing or where they were going when she entered the car back at the Academy; she had merely trusted that Five both wanted and needed her company. Now that they had arrived at their destination, questions were beginning to circulate in her mind and, if what she thought he meant was true, fists were going to fly. Or rather two very specific bodies were. "Are we here to meet the two people that I <em>think </em>we're here to meet?" she offered.</p><p>"Well that depends-" Luther began.</p><p>"Yep," Five said bluntly. "Hazel and Cha-Cha."</p><p>"<em>Hazel and Cha-Cha,</em>" Bea repeated, spitting out both of their names like poison on the tip of her tongue. "Oh, when I see those sons of bitches..."</p><p>"You'll do nothing," Five stated, turning to look at his sister over his left shoulder. "Don't mess up the plan, okay?"</p><p>Bea threw up both of her palms, leaning back slightly and widening her eyes. "I don't even know the plan!"</p><p>"Just follow my lead and don't let your emotions get the better of you. There will be time for that later." His warning was there, though thickly veiled.</p><p>The woman said nothing, choosing to pick her battles and not escalate the situation. It would be hard for her not to throw a punch at the two assassins when she saw them, let alone fabricating something sharp and pointy out of water to hurl into their eye sockets from afar. They had, of course, tortured the love of her life, killed her robotic mother-figure and were currently hunting down her favourite brother. But for the sake of said brother she would listen and do as he said, resisting any and all natural urges to maim.</p><p>______________________________</p><p>It was decided that Luther would carry the precious briefcase, given that he silently declared himself the strongest of the three. As they all waited with baited breath, a movement in the distance caught their collective eye. <em>A car. </em>Stepping out of the vehicle they stood by, anxiously lingering as the car pulled up a little ways away from them. </p><p>Five stood nonchalantly with his hands in his pockets, the very picture of confidence. "If this all goes sideways," he said, "do me a favour and tell Dolores I'm sorry."</p><p>Quick as a flash, Bea responded with a reprimanding tone. "Stop it," she chided, connecting her eyes with his. He didn't need to be talking so pessimistically; not when the plan was so simple. The sound of car doors opening disconnected the two, and Five made his way towards his old colleagues. Due to her position next to Luther, and away from the meeting point, Bea had to strain to hear what was being said.</p><p>"Are the masks really necessary?" Five asked, relaxed in both posture and voice. In response to his question, both Hazel and Cha-Cha removed their headgear, revealing the human underneath. Faces to names. </p><p>"So where is it, kid?" Cha-Cha asked, getting straight to the point. </p><p>"Wow, so that's how you're going to start. You know," Five took a tentative step backwards, "we can get right back in our car and call it a day."</p><p>Pulling a gun from its place hidden in her waistband, the female assassin adopted a more threatening air. "You won't even make it halfway there," she warned. </p><p>"Maybe," Five smirked. "But as I'm sure you found out in your previous foray, my brother is not your average giant."</p><p>"He's right," Hazel offered, leaning towards his partner. "You dropped a chandelier on him - got right back up."</p><p>"By the time you took him out he'd smash your precious briefcase to a pulp. And my sister," Five continued, gazing over his shoulder towards Bea for just a second, "well...she's got a way with water. She'd could quite literally boil you alive." The boy wasn't certain whether or not that was a power Bea possessed, but it sounded frightening; and frightening was exactly what he needed in that moment.</p><p>"So," Hazel spoke up. "How do we help each other?"</p><p>"I need you to get in contact with your superior so I can have a chat with her. Face-to-face."</p><p>"About what?" Cha-Cha asked.</p><p>"Well, I don't believe that's any of your concern."</p><p>There was a pause as Cha-Cha mulled over her choices. "Just don't tell her about the briefcase," she finally relented.</p><p>"Fair enough."</p><p>Turning on her heels, the female assassin headed to a nearby payphone in order to fulfill Five's request. As this transpired, Five returned to Bea and Luther, perching on the bonnet of their car.</p><p>"What happens now?" Luther asked, approaching Five slowly.</p><p>"Now we wait," Five answered cryptically.</p><p>After a beat of silence, Bea stepped forwards with slight hesitancy. "How did you...how did you know about the boiling thing?"</p><p>The speed at which Luther's head rotated around to face her was almost comical, especially as it was matched with large, shocked eyes. Five, on the other hand, raised a calm eyebrow, surprise adorning his youthful face. "That's something you can actually do?" Bea nodded. "I just said it to scare them."</p><p>Bea wrung her hands together. "I mean, I've never done it to an actual person but I can boil water. It's- I can control water molecules," she explained. "Increase their speed and," she shrugged, "you get heat."</p><p>Five looked at her, unblinking. "Neat."</p><p>A minute passed as they waited, nervous energy crackling through the air in apprehension of the arrival of Five's former boss. All of a sudden, and very slowly, Bea looked to her right, confusion painted boldly onto her face. "Does anyone else hear music?"</p><p>Her family's eyes followed suit, gazing down the road to see an approaching car. As it got closer, it was plain to see that it wasn't just any car; in fact, it was an ice cream truck. With barely any residential buildings around them, there was no explanation for the appearance of the mysterious vehicle.</p><p>"Is that her?" Luther asked Five, disbelief clearly interwoven into his words. Five remained silent, just as baffled as his siblings were. As the three of them followed the truck with their eyes, they were flabbergasted to see exactly who was behind the wheel, waving at them with joy in his features.</p><p>Bea's jaw dropped and, for a moment, she was lost for words. When she regained the ability to talk, she asked the obvious. "Was that <em>Klaus</em>?"</p><p>"What the hell is he doing here?" Five said, somewhat ignoring his sister.</p><p>As the truck continued on its intended path it gained speed, ramming into Hazel and Cha-Cha as they desperately tried to take out its driver with a hail of bullets. They flew to the side, falling to the ground with incredible force as the truck smashed into their parked car, effectively coming to an immediate halt.</p><p>The next few minutes were a blur.</p><p>Noticing Five was no longer with them, Luther threw the briefcase to one side, clearing a path between himself and the ice cream truck. As the assassins split apart, Bea took the opportunity to break out into a run, sprinting towards Klaus as tears began to well up in her eyes. </p><p>She had yet to notice that Five was missing. </p><p>As she reached Klaus she grabbed him, hauling  him to his feet and dragging him to the safety of their car. Luther had joined her, giving his aid to Diego who had also miraculously appeared. Shoving themselves into the car, Luther started it promptly and sped away, leaving the assassins alone to fend for themselves.</p><p>Breathing heavily, Bea looked around the car from her seat in the back, counting only four bodies when there should have been five. "Shit, we left Five behind!" she exclaimed, panicking as she twisted her body to look out of the rear window. </p><p>"He wasn't there," Luther shouted back. "He disappeared!"</p><p>"He what?" she cried. "What do you mean 'he disappeared'? Why would he do that? Oh fuck, what are we going to do now?"</p><p>"For the love of god, Phoebe, calm down!" Diego piped up from the front, tired of his sister's overreaction. She was beginning to hyperventilate, which wouldn't do any of them any good if she passed out from the lack of air.</p><p>"CAN WE ALL JUST STOP SHOUTING?" Klaus screamed, clutching his head in his hands. </p><p>After his outburst the car went silent; the only sound to be heard was the heavy combination of breathing and engine rumbles. Bea took a deep breath in, exhaling laboriously. "Sorry," she apologized. "Adrenaline."</p><p>Her answer was enough, and was followed by a few minutes of blissful silence. Looking over to Klaus, who sat beside her, Bea allowed herself to take in his disheveled form. He looked tired and sweaty - and surprisingly uninjured. Lowering her voice, she leaned over marginally, ducking to catch his gaze. "Are you okay?" she asked softly.</p><p>Klaus looked up, seeing the familiar warmth of sunset colours dancing in Bea's concerned eyes before him. Oh, how he had missed those eyes. To Bea, Klaus had been missing for a few days. To her, it hadn't been that long since she had seen him in person - and yet the pain was unbearable. For Klaus, he hadn't seen the love of his life in nearly a year. The pain that she felt was increased exponentially for him. He wanted to cry, he wanted to hold her tightly and never let her go; promise her that now they were together again he would never leave her side. Something, however was holding him back. Guilt flashed through his mind as he thought back to what he had done in Vietnam. Or rather <em>who </em>he had done.</p><p>"I'm okay," was all he could offer, mumbling it through his chapped lips. He didn't want to talk to her here in the car, surrounded by the others. He didn't want to confess to her his one mistake, have her go off on him when they were confined together in a metal box. He turned to his left, closing his eyes and sighing as he pretended to look out of the window. He felt a small, soft hand grasp his - full of so much love and support in one simple gesture - and felt his heart shatter all over again.</p><p>From Bea's perspective, she assumed Klaus was trying to cope with his experiences and so allowed him happily to contemplate by himself for now. She grasped his larger hand, hoping to communicate with him that she was there and that she would talk to him when he was ready.</p><p>______________________________</p><p>Back at the Academy the group exited the car, all four of them heading in different directions. Bea followed Klaus carefully, wanting to be near him but not wishing to overwhelm him. Klaus noticed what she was doing and took it upon himself to lead, walking through the halls with benign purpose. He would take her somewhere private, he decided, where they could talk away from prying ears. Somewhere that she would be able to throw things at him, should the need arise. Every so often he would glance back at her and see her smiling face, smiling awkwardly in return.</p><p>After a few minutes they reached their destination - the bunkered kitchen. Klaus stood in the center of the room, fidgeting on his feet. He threw his long, black coat to one side, suddenly feeling warm. <em>This is it, </em>he thought. <em>Time to come clean...even if it means losing you forever.</em></p><p>"Klaus?" Her voice brought him back to reality, startling him almost too easily. Bea had stopped near him, standing stiffly as she watched him squirm. Her worst fear was that he would close himself off, refusing to speak with her. She cast her mind back to earlier in the day, where Five told her what Klaus had said. <em>'I can't face her yet.' </em>What exactly had he meant by that? She didn't have to worry for long, as the man in front of her spoke up.</p><p>"I need to tell you something," he said, running a hand through his messy hair.</p><p>"You can tell me anything," Bea smiled, unknowingly furthering Klaus' discomfort. "You look like you should sit down, though." </p><p>As she stepped towards him he flinched without meaning to, causing a frown to form on her pretty face. <em>I wish I didn't have to hurt you. </em>"O-okay," he said, lowering himself to the floor.</p><p>Bea laughed at that, gesturing around the room. "You know, there are a lot of chairs in here. You don't have to sit on the floor, dummkopf." He said nothing, only chuckling lightly, so she joined him, crossing her legs as she sat before him. As she stared at his face, she saw the anguish in his emerald eyes. "Klaus, you have no idea how relieved I am to see you again."</p><p>"I-" he started, "I feel the same way. I've been gone a long time."</p><p>"I know, Five said. Ten months..." She trailed of, waiting for Klaus to make the next move.</p><p>He took her cue, launching into his story. "I ended up in the middle of the Vietnam war," he confessed, not missing the gasp from his companion. "I had no choice but to grab a gun and start shooting."</p><p>"Fuck." That was all Bea could offer in that moment.</p><p>"Yeah. You're looking at a genuine war veteran!" </p><p>Bea wanted to lean forward; to comfort Klaus with physical touch. Yet, she restrained herself, observing his discomfort. </p><p>"I-I have to confess something to you, Bea."</p><p>"Okay?" she said slowly, drawing out the word. His manner of speaking put her at unease. Whatever he was about to say wasn't going to be pretty. And once she heard it, it definitely wasn't.</p><p>"I slept with someone else."</p><p>______________________________</p>
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<a name="section0024"><h2>24. t w e n t y . f o u r</h2></a>
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    <p>"...what?" Bea felt her heart plummet to the bottom of her stomach as she stared into Klaus' guilt-ridden eyes. <em>He slept with someone else? </em>She was sadly familiar with the feeling of heartbreak and betrayal; it had been a prevalent force throughout her life. This, however, felt like a white-hot knife had pierced through both her heart and her stomach. She felt sick - felt a creeping cold sweat announce its presence over her as it rose from her neck to her pale face. Sure, they had never verbalised that they were exclusive, but they had shared their intimate secrets with each other. They acted like lovesick teenagers when in each others' company; looked at one another as if they were the most precious things in the entire universe. On top of that, she had said that she loved him and Klaus had said it back. All of that was information enough for her to conclude and confirm their relationship status - without the need of a spoken label.</p><p>Sensing the tension in the room building, Klaus reached for Bea's shaking hands, never once breaking eye contact as his larger ones engulfed hers completely. "I'm so sorry, Phoebe," he said wearily, green eyes pricking with unshed tears.</p><p>In response, Bea pulled back harshly, rising to her feet and turning away from him as she ran a hand through her auburn hair, expression full of indignation. Her breathing picked up as she processed this new piece of information, all the time trying to put her feelings in check and settle on a single emotion. She had tears in her eyes, like he did, yet she couldn't decide if they were from sadness or anger just yet.</p><p>"It wasn't-" Klaus tried to continue, hurt flashing across his eyes at her reaction while he stumbled to his own feet. He tried to reach out to the pacing woman, stopping short as she rounded on him.</p><p>"Wasn't what?" Bea snapped, sharply spinning to gaze at him once more. Anger. That's what she had currently settled on. "Wasn't with anyone important?" she questioned, tone full of bitter spite. "Wasn't as meaningful as with me? Wasn't as <em>good?</em>" By this point the tears had spilled, cascading down her rosy cheeks.</p><p>"It was a mistake!" Klaus exclaimed, his own ocular floodgates opening as he cried.</p><p>"Of course it was!" Bea shouted back.</p><p>"Bea, it only happened once," he implored, silently begging for her forgiveness.</p><p>She laughed, but there was no humour behind the sound, no melody coating it. Klaus' heart - if it was even possible - broke more after hearing it. He adored her laugh. To him, it was music to his ears. This sound, though, was not a song; it was cold and broken and he hated it. "Well, if it only happened once then I guess it's all okay, right?"</p><p>They paused, both breathing heavily as they watched each other, waiting to see who would make the next move. Bea's rhetorical question hung uncomfortably in the air, daring Klaus to answer. After a minute, Bea broke the silence, speaking in a hushed voice. "I would never cheat on you. Not ever."</p><p>"I-"</p><p>"When did it happen?" she asked, interrupting him. Hugging her arms securely around herself, she shifted from foot to foot, looking down nervously at the ground.</p><p>"A few months in. We were at a bar, it was a long night," he resigned with a sigh, words catching in his throat as Bea's glassy orange eyes rose to meet his once more. "I got drunk...really drunk. Heat of the moment."</p><p>Swallowing thickly, Bea finally asked the question she was dreading the answer to. "Who was it?"</p><p>Klaus blanched, looking away for a split second. He knew that he would have to tell her who it was; that any information he provided would make her feel awful about herself. He also knew that she would be devastated regardless of their gender. And deep down, unbeknownst to Bea, that person was someone he had become good friends with. Someone who had, not too long ago, died a gruesome death in his arms. Taking a deep breath, Klaus steeled himself for what was to come. "A guy from my squadron...Dave."</p><p>"A guy?" She smiled sadly, a fresh wave of tears falling from her eyes. "At least I don't have to worry about comparing myself to some other woman." Turning on her heel, she dropped her arms and started walking towards the stairs, shaking her head as she went. "I hope 'Dave' was worth it," she mumbled, spitting out the name like a bad taste in her mouth.</p><p>"Bea , wait!" Klaus sprang forward, grabbing her wrist firmly and spinning her around to face him. Before she had time to react, he kissed her, letting go of her arm in order to grab her face in both of his hands. He hoped to pour all of his love, apologies and regret into that kiss. Bea responded positively, desperately clinging to his shirt as their kiss deepened, tongues dancing for dominance. Klaus pushed against her, slamming her back roughly into the wall as his left hand moved down her side to explore her toned body. He grasped her hip, fingers digging in securely, sure to leave a few bruises. Moving his mouth to her jaw, he kissed a line from her chin to just below her ear, a spot he knew she loved.</p><p>Bea's mind went blank as she lost herself in Klaus' touch. She allowed herself to let out a sharp moan, heat building in the pit of her stomach. Then, all of a sudden, she remembered what was happening. Eyes flying open, anger seeped into every fiber of her being and coursed through her, as easily as her blood did. Releasing her grip on his clothes, she shoved him, hard, not missing the confusion flash across his flushed face. "NO!" she seethed. "No! You do <em>not </em>get to kiss me like that and think everything will go back to how it was, Klaus! What you did was not okay." By this point she was shaking, sobs wracking her body as she backed away from him. "You told me you loved me!"</p><p>"I do!" he confirmed.</p><p>"You have a fucked up way of showing it!" Taking a deep breath in, Bea calmed herself enough so that she could string a few sentences together. "You know," she pondered darkly, "maybe your definition of love is different to mine. I mean, we're all stunted emotionally in the fucking <em>love department</em> thanks to deadbeat parents."</p><p>Klaus, matching Bea's sobs, took a hesitant step towards her. "Bea, <em>please.</em>"</p><p>"Just leave me alone!" On that final note she turned, breaking into a sprint as she dashed up the stairs, leaving a heartbroken Klaus crumpling to his knees. His ghostly brother stood over him, wistfully staring after the woman who ran away. Ben wished he could talk to Bea and tell her the truth - that Dave really was only a one-night-stand. But he couldn't. And that fact broke his own, unbeating heart.</p><p>_____________________________________</p><p><em>What a day.</em> The amount of stress pent up inside her body was incredibly unhealthy and, as she ran through the halls of the empty Academy building, Bea could feel her powers being used against her will. Vases rattled as the water sloshed around inside of them, threatening to knock them over at a moment's notice. The air that followed her was heavy and saturated as the aquatic liquid drew itself towards her form, leaving her clothing slightly damp. She cried, chest heaving with every ugly sob that escaped her. Bea could distinctly remember the last time she had cried this hard - and ironically it was in the very same building. She always knew that Luther would break her one day, no matter how strong she pretended to be. But Klaus? That bombshell had left her in a state of shock and bewilderment. She had been ecstatic to reunite with her childhood sweetheart; he had filled her heart so full of love and given her hope that she could live a semi-normal life. Yet, he had also taken that away from her. Remorse was there, apparent in his eyes, and she had seen it. But it wasn't enough. For now, he needed to let her grieve.</p><p>Wiping hastily at her eyes, Bea couldn't clearly see where she was going. What she did know is that one moment her feet were solidly on the ground and the next they were in the air as she lay sprawled on her back. Crying out in pain and surprise, she blinked rapidly, willing her senses to come back to her. Before she could piece together what had happened, the hulking, shadowed figure in front of her spoke first.</p><p>"Phoebe?"</p><p>"L-luther?" Bea whimpered, fog clearing from her eyes as she lay with her head on the floor, identifying his voice.</p><p>"Are you..." he began awkwardly. "Are you okay?" Reaching down to her, he offered his hand and pulled her trembling body to its feet. She said nothing, instead covering her face and continuing to cry. Luther was dumbstruck; he didn't know what to do. Of course, he had seen Bea cry before due to his own cruel words but she had run away straight after, leaving him to stare at a closed door. Now, she stood before him visibly upset, and he realized how ridiculous his initial question had been. Clearing his throat, he tried again. "What happened?" He certainly hadn't expected to see anyone in the Academy's foyer as he wandered through aimlessly, let alone have a wailing woman quite literally crash into him.</p><p>"Everything!" she wept. What happened next came as a surprise to both of them. Throwing her arms out haphazardly, Bea enclosed them as far as she could around Luther's imposing torso, squeezing him tightly. In her mind, Bea didn't care who it was that she had stumbled across; she was too upset and simply needed some basic human comfort.</p><p>Luther, on the other hand, was thrown for a loop. Sure, he and Bea had 'made up' and come to a stalemate in their relationship, but hugging? This was new. He recognized that he needed to extract the information from Bea to find out why she was crying, in case it was a new, important development in the apocalypse crisis. He also recognized that he would get nowhere if she was <em>still </em>crying and unable to string any words together. So, bracing himself, he did the one thing he never thought he would do. He hugged Bea back.</p><p>They stood there for a good minute, Luther holding Bea as she slowly calmed down, shuddering breaths evening out over time. When he felt as though she was ready, Luther drew back, holding Bea at arms length. "You wanna talk about it?" he asked, discomfort painted all over him.</p><p>"Yeah," Bea whispered, withdrawing from Luther's hold and moving towards the living room. Upon entry, she slumped down in the nearest chair, leaving Luther to perch himself onto the sofa opposite. He waited, not willing to push her for answers lest she start crying again. After a beat, Bea spoke, voice hushed. "I can't do it anymore, Luther."</p><p>"Do what?" he asked.</p><p>"Any of this," she clarified, tears pricking at her eyes once again. "Be this person. Be 'Number Eight'. I'm not strong enough; I never was."</p><p>Leaning forward to rest his arms on his knees, Luther's confusion only grew. "What are you talking about?"</p><p>"I can't do it, Luther!" she snapped. "I should never have come back. I should have just stayed away like you wanted and everyone would have been better off without me! Maybe then my life wouldn't be so <em>fucked.</em>"</p><p>"Okay, Phoebe, you're not making any sense-"</p><p>"Diego's not speaking to me, do you know that? Five's gone again and it makes me feel sick to not know where he is. And Klaus..." She paused, internally begging herself not to let the tears fall as her body involuntarily shuddered.</p><p>"Klaus?" Luther gently prompted.</p><p>"We got back together," she explained, not looking at him. "But I was stupid to think it would last. That he would stay faithful." She laughed bitterly. It seemed more recently that this was the only type of laughter that came out of her.</p><p>Luther remained quiet, unsure of how to respond. It hadn't escaped his notice that Phoebe and Klaus had grown close again, especially after seeing how desperate she had been in wanting to find him after he was kidnapped. Anything to do with relationships, however, was not his forte. The only woman he had ever loved was married and had a daughter, so he wasn't an expert advice giver in this type of situation. Luther didn't have to worry for very long, though, as Bea cut the silence.</p><p>"I used to be so sure of myself. Who I was, my identity, what I wanted from life. But now? I finally realize that I'm not really living. I'm just <em>existing. </em>Getting in the way of everyone else."</p><p>"Phoebe-"</p><p>"That's all I ever was. An addition. An extra in the family play. Even Vanya was more a part of this family than I ever was, and Reggie kept her locked away!" She stood suddenly, shaking her head. "I should just go. We're dead in three days anyway and I'm hardly going to be an important playing piece in this game of 'let's stop the world ending'."</p><p>In response to her barrage of self-depricating words, Luther stood too, towering over her. "Stop it!" he bellowed, voice echoing through the hollow room. "Do you hear yourself?"</p><p>Bea scoffed, unwilling to look at Luther, like a child being berated.</p><p>"Do you want to know the truth, huh?"</p><p>"What are you talking about?" she asked.</p><p>"About why I hated you when we were kids?" Bea remained silent, a frown on her tear stained face. "It was because I was jealous of you, okay?"</p><p>Eyes widening, Bea looked towards him, stunned. <em>He was jealous? </em>she thought disbelievingly. "You were jealous?"</p><p>"That's right," Luther confirmed, taking a stride towards her. "I was Number One, Dad's favorite. And then all of a sudden you come along and his attention was on you. You were new and exciting to him and everyone loved you. So I lashed out. Especially since your powers could be so much more useful than mine."</p><p>"I'm sorry, what?"</p><p>Luther's eyes hardened, just for a second. "I'm not saying it again." He moved closer to her, pointing a gloved finger in her face. "So quit all your bullshit talk about not being important or loved or good enough, because you are."</p><p>Of all of the Hargreeves clan, Luther was the last person Bea expected to ever give her a pep talk, specifically a positive one full of praise. <em>It must be this damn apocalypse, </em>she told herself. It had a way of bringing true emotions to the forefront and cauterizing old wounds.</p><p>"Thanks, Luther." She cleared her throat, suddenly feeling exposed and awkward. "Sorry you had to witness my mental breakdown."</p><p>Luther breathed a laugh, not quite fully comfortable with the banter. "I'll go and round up the others," he stated. "We need to get together and decide our next move."</p><p>Bea nodded, letting him leave as she moved to the mirror, cleaning her face up. She had just run away from Klaus and now she would have to face him again in a room full of the others. Most importantly, she had to decide quickly whether or not she could forgive him.</p><p>_____________________________________</p><p>"Three days?" Allison asked, handing out to-go coffees to everyone who had gathered. The only member of the family who hadn't been invited to the meeting was Vanya, and that was by Luther's decision.</p><p>"That's what Five said," Luther replied.</p><p>"The old bastard did mention the apocalypse, come to think of it," Klaus deliberated as he sat on the floor. "He just left out the part about how soon."</p><p>From her place on the other side of the room, Bea rolled her eyes. <em>Of course he didn't take it seriously.</em></p><p>"But can we trust him?" Allison asked, taking her place by Luther's side once she had finished handing out the beverages. "I mean, I don't know if you've noticed but Five's a little..." She whistled, the universal sound for 'crazy'.</p><p>Klaus laughed. "Out little psycho."</p><p>"He was pretty convincing," Luther said.</p><p>Bea scoffed. "Are you all for real? Five is the most serious out of all of us - he always has been. If he says something like this is happening, then I believe him. I don't need to be convinced."</p><p>From his place next to her, Diego spoke, voice muffled by his coffee cup. "Of course you don't."</p><p>Bea didn't respond verbally, only sending an icy glare his way. She was sick of Diego's warped and fluctuating attitude, and hoped that he snapped out of it very soon.</p><p>Luther jumped in again, trying to bring the conversation back on track. "If he wasn't trying to stop an apocalypse from happening then those lunatics wouldn't be chasing him."</p><p>"That's why they were after him?" Diego asked, staring pointedly at Luther.</p><p>"Yeah," Luther confirmed.</p><p>"What did Five even see?" Allison asked.</p><p>Luther became very uncomfortable, unsure of how much he should give away. He glanced at Bea for guidance, who merely nodded in affirmation that he should tell them the truth. "Uh..." he started, "Apparently, we all fought together against whoever was responsible." There was a beat of silence as the others waited for Luther to finish his explanation. On realizing that he wasn't going to, Bea readied herself to have to spill. Before she could, however, Luther stood, walking across the room. "Okay. So here's the plan-"</p><p>He was cut off by protests from Allison, Klaus and Diego, who all wondered why Luther hadn't really answered the initial question. As their words settled, Klaus spoke up. "What actually happened the first time around?"</p><p>"Yeah," Diego continued. "What are you not telling us? Come on, big boy, spit it out."</p><p>"<em>We died,</em>" Luther muttered into his cup, too quiet for anyone but Bea, who was right next to him, to hear.</p><p>"What was that?" Allison asked, confused at to why Luther was acting so shady.</p><p>The largest of the five looked over to Bea for help again, eyes large and pleading. Rolling her own, Bea obliged. "We died," she stated brashly.</p><p>"WHAT?" came the collective outburst, all eyes on Bea and Luther as they moved over to the bar. More questions followed, asking if everyone on the planet died, to which their worst fears were confirmed. Bea could feel the judging eyes on her, wondering why she hadn't told them sooner. Worst of all she felt Klaus' burning a hole in her skull. She couldn't face him yet, so didn't make a move to lock eyes with him.</p><p>Moments later, a small voice sliced through the fray. "Hey."</p><p>Turning around, Bea noticed that Vanya had walked into the living room, an unknown man standing close by. Bea could't help but feel a strange vibe from this man as he stood smiling at them. She couldn't explain it but something just felt...off.</p><p>"What's going on?" Vanya questioned.</p><p>Allison answered for the group. "It's a family matter."</p><p>Bea winced, noticing how Allison's choice of words weren't the smartest. It seemed that Allison had meant well, trying to convey that she didn't want to discuss it with anyone who wasn't a Hargreeves. Unfortunately, Vanya did not understand this.</p><p>"'A family matter'," she repeated bitterly. "So of course you couldn't bother to include me."</p><p>"No, it's not like that. We were-"</p><p>"Please don't let me interrupt," Vanya said, effectively cutting Luther off.</p><p>As she turned to leave, Allison called out to her, but her efforts fell on deaf ears. "I'll fill you in later when we're alone."</p><p>"Please, please, don't bother. And I won't either."</p><p>"Vanya, that's not fair," Allison tried.</p><p>"Fair?" Vanya spat back. Bea could feel the tension in the room growing, thick like a weed consuming everything in its path. She rested her chin on her folded arms across the top of the bar in front of her, realising that this conversation only had one outcome. "There's nothing <em>fair </em>about being your sister," Vanya continued. "I have been left out of everything for as long as I can remember. And I used to think that it was Dad's fault, but he's dead. So it turns out you're the assholes." On that note she turned, storming out of the room with the stranger close on her heels.</p><p>"I'm going to go find Vanya and explain," Allison declared, with every intention of doing so.</p><p>"No, wait, there isn't time," Luther called out, stopping Allison in her tracks. "We need to figure out what causes the apocalypse." Sighing, she turned, rejoining her family at the bar as Luther resumed his thought process. "Now, there are loads of possibilities: nuclear war, asteroids. But I'm thinking this is about the moon."</p><p>"The moon?" Bea questioned, lifting her head. "Where did you pull that from?"</p><p>Luther glanced at her for a second, before moving his gaze back to Allison. "Dad must have sent me up there for a reason..."</p><p>The boredom in the room was palpable as Luther droned on, everyone becoming disinterested in his theories about Reginald's supposed interest in moon samples.</p><p>"Hold the phone," Klaus piped up. "We all died fighting this thing the first time around. Remember?"</p><p>"Klaus shockingly has a point," Diego agreed, fiddling with a knife in his hand. "What gives us a win this time?"</p><p>All of a sudden, without warning, an electrical wave crackled from above them, blue light filtering in. As the intensity of the anomaly grew, a body appeared, curled around a briefcase.</p><p>"Jesus!" Allison cried out in shock.</p><p>Bea had jumped up from her seat behind the bar and pressed her body close to the wall, as far away from the energy source as possible. As the lights faded back to normal, she looked closely at the person now lying on the bar in front of her. She'd recall that uniform anywhere and at least one worry was off of her mind.</p><p>
  <em>Five was back.</em>
</p><p>_____________________________________</p>
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<a name="section0025"><h2>25. t w e n t y . f i v e</h2></a>
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    <p>As soon as she recognized exactly who it was that had crash landed in front of her, Bea rushed forward, attempting to aid a disheveled looking Five in getting down from the top of the bar. Her actions were in vain it seemed when, in his effort to stand, Five rolled unceremoniously onto the floor on the opposite side of her. "Five!" she called out, circling the bar. As she and Luther dragged him to his feet he turned, snatching Allison's half finished coffee cup from her hand and stalking across the room.</p><p>"Who did this?" Luther asked, brows pulled into a tight frown as he took in Five's less than perfect appearance. The boy's usually pristine uniform was covered in an ashy residue, as well as being torn in several places. His hair was messy and he had several cuts adoring his youthful face - something that concerned a certain water-bender beyond belief. She would certainly be having words with him later. </p><p>Five shrugged, not eager to waste time with trivial questions. "Irrelevant," he responded simply, walking away from the group and downing the caffeinated beverage. </p><p>It wasn't missed by the other members of the Academy that he was limping. <em>What the hell happened to you, Five? </em>Bea thought, pushing to the front of the group as she watched him. </p><p>"So," Five faced them with a grim look, "the apocalypse is in three days. The only chance we have to save our world is, well, <em>us.</em>" He bit out the final word, his discouraged tone speaking the words he truly wanted to say for him.</p><p>"The Umbrella Academy," Luther affirmed.</p><p>Five glared at his brother, his emerald eyes narrowed and emphasizing his patronizing response. "Yeah, but with <em>me, </em>obviously." His berating gaze moved from Luther to Bea, followed by Allison, Diego and Klaus in turn. Bea couldn't help but feel hurt by it, especially when she didn't feel as though she had done anything to deserve it. She and Five had been through so much over the last five days; she had confessed her ugliest secrets and he his. Whatever had happened to Five since his disappearance at the meeting with the assassins had seriously messed with mind - and Bea's heart hurt to see the aftermath. </p><p>Five wasn't finished with his reprimanding as his eyes swept over his family. "If y'all don't get your sideshow acts together and get over yourselves, we're screwed."</p><p>"Hey!" Bea automatically responded, her voice timid.</p><p>Though she was ignored by Five, Klaus immediately snapped his eyes to his left. As he focused on Bea, he once again felt guilt eating away at him, threatening to leave nothing behind. If 'sideshow acts' were what Five was looking to shut down, then Klaus would certainly have to try again with the woman he loved. There was no way that he could waste any more time having her be angry at him. He would force her to forgive him - to love him again - if it was the last thing he ever did. If the apocalypse inevitably happened, then he would die with Bea clutched tightly in his arms. </p><p> "-to give us a fighting chance to see next week, I've come back with a lead." Pulling a scrap of paper from his blazer, Five turned it over in his hand. "I know who's responsible for the apocalypse."</p><p>Bea wanted more than anything to grab hold of that slip of paper; to open it and finally know who their target was. But, as she stared unwavering at it, she just...couldn't. A lead was exactly what they needed if they had any hope of surviving into next week, and yet it was all starting to feel too <em>real</em>. She had been coasting through life that week, often feeling as though she were floating up, outside of her body and observing the nightmare unfold before her. Watching as relationships were mended and broken; watching herself struggle more than she ever thought she would. Seeing that name would be the catalyst to whatever events unfolded over the next few days. Bea didn't know if she would ever be ready for it.</p><p>Unfortunately for her, she didn't have a choice. Where she hesitated, the others did not. Allison reached out with lightning reflexes, plucking the paper from Five's hand and hastily unfolding it. Crowding around her, the others peered over her shoulders, drinking in the new information eagerly. Bea steeled herself, squeezing her eyes shut only briefly before letting out a breath and chancing a look.</p><p>
  <b>'ASSIGNMENT: PROTECT HAROLD JENKINS.'</b>
</p><p>"'Harold Jenkins'?" Allison asked, confusion smattered over her delicate features.</p><p>"Who the hell is Harold Jenkins?" Diego added, staring accusingly at his smallest brother.</p><p>Throwing his now empty coffee cup haphazardly behind him, Five cast his neutral gaze towards the group. "I don't know...yet," he offered. "But I do know he's responsible for the apocalypse. So we have to find him and we have to do it now."</p><p>Questions flooded the room after Five's confession, all tinged with skepticism. Bea felt herself becoming numb to them, eyes glazing over with every new query uttered. She wasn't in the right head space for this conversation, not after just having had not one, but <em>two </em>emotional outbursts within the last half an hour. She still couldn't bring herself to look Klaus in the eye. <em>Get it together, </em>she berated herself. Not ten minutes ago was she telling the others that she trusted Five; that she would be ready to face whatever challenges she had to in order to save the world. However, the reality of it was that she was tired, emotionally and physically. So she spaced out, content to await direct instruction once the others had decided the course of action.</p><p>"-They were sent by the Temps Commission to stop me from coming back and preventing the end of life on Earth."</p><p>Five's words caught Bea's attention, zoning her back into the room momentarily. "The Temps who?" Allison questioned, folding her arms across her chest.</p><p>"The Commission?" Bea said unthinkingly, not removing her sights from Five.</p><p>An accusatory look from her sister was thrown her way. "You say that like you know what it is."</p><p>"I do."</p><p>A scoff came from her right. "<em>Of course,</em>" Diego mumbled.</p><p>Once again annoyed by his sour behaviour towards her, Bea didn't delay in snapping back at her brother. "Bite me."</p><p>"Are we done, children?" Five growled, drawing attention back to himself. A chorus of silent eye rolls followed, each directed at a different Hargreeves. "Allison, the Temps Commission is my former employer," he explained. "They monitor all of time and space to make sure that whatever is supposed to happen, happens. When I went back to the headquarters yesterday, I intercepted a message meant for those two lunatic assassins: 'protect Harold Jenkins'. So he <em>must </em>be responsible for the apocalypse."</p><p>A moment passed as the family absorbed Five's conclusions. It wasn't long before yet another round of questions surfaced, all commonly tinged with doubt. Shaking her head, Bea moved to her left, slumping down onto a plush chair. She was confused as to why the others couldn't simply accept what their brother was telling them. Everything he had confirmed so far, bar the apocalypse itself, had come to fruition. What reasons did he have to lie about any of it? </p><p>Unable to take any more of the shouting, Bea stood up all of a sudden, making her way to exit the room. She paused in her tracks when Five called out to her. "Where are you going?" he asked. "This is important!"</p><p>She sighed, looking over her shoulder at him. "I know, and I'm in whatever you decide to do. But I can't listen to this arguing and I need to lie down. So I'll be in my room - come get me when we start this thing."</p><p>"Okay." Five's tone softened considerably when he understood that his favourite sister wasn't abandoning him, simply needing a short respite from the questioning. Hell, he wished that he could do the same after the day that he had. Granting her a final nod, he returned to face his siblings' interrogations, following her retreating form from the corner of his eye. Five was not the only one to watch her go - Klaus, too, couldn't keep his eyes off of her as she swept out into the foyer.  </p><p>____________________________</p><p>Lying on her bed, red hair fanning out around her, Bea stared at the ceiling, clutching two very special photographs in her hands. These were the pictures that she had been carrying around with her everywhere she went since she had arrived back at the Academy. Glancing down she looked at them, staring into the faces of her younger self. "If only you knew," she said sadly. "Maybe then you wouldn't have wasted your life and actually fucking lived it." Lazily, she allowed her hand to fall over the side of the bed and dropped the photographs, the images floating deliberately to the floor. Heaving a heavy sigh, she threw an arm over her eyes, closing them tightly as she once again willed herself not to cry. <em>This is becoming old. Reggie trained your mind not to become clouded by emotions; somehow the most important thing he ever did. Don't lose that training, Phoebe.</em></p><p>Lost in her thoughts, Bea almost missed the soft knocking coming from her open doorway. On hearing it, she lifted her arm from her face and sat up, not yet looking to see who had come to collect her. "Are we going?" she asked, finally turning to face her visitor. As her eyes locked onto large, forest-green ones she paled, swallowing thickly. "Klaus."</p><p>"Hey, Red," he said, voice gentle. </p><p>Ignoring the way his nickname for her caused butterflies to erupt in her stomach, Bea spun her body, dangling her legs off of her bed. She couldn't help but feel awkward alone in her room with him so shortly after she had chewed him out and run away. Clearing her throat, she mustered as much confidence as she could. "So, um, like I said - are we going?"</p><p>"Oh," Klaus said, briefly pointing over his shoulder. "The others already left."</p><p>Frowning, Bea slid to her feet. "They left?"</p><p>"Yeah..." He lifted a finger to scratch his temple - a nervous habit, tinged with his rapidly growing substance withdrawal. "Luther is in the old man's office but the others skedaddled."</p><p>"<em>Damn it, Five,</em>" Bea muttered under her breath. "Well, did Five leave any instructions for us?"</p><p>Klaus took the fact that Bea was actually speaking to him as a good sign, and hesitantly took a few steps into the room. "Not that I'm aware of." Wiping the sweat from his brow, Klaus changed the subject. "Look, can we talk? Please?"</p><p>"I don't think we have time, Klaus."</p><p>"Bea, I can't die in three days not having explained everything to you." He took another step towards her, voice low and eyes wet. "<em>Please, Red.</em>"</p><p>There it was again. That nickname. It was her kryptonite.</p><p>Sinking back down to her bed, Bea paused, albeit it only briefly. "Fine," she relented. Without a task to complete there really was no excuse not to hear him out. </p><p>Klaus visibly relaxed after her acceptance, moving quickly to sit on the bed next to her. As he moved across the room he paused when he noticed that he had stepped on something. "What are these?" he asked, bending down to remove the offending objects from the bottom of his show. "Photographs?" </p><p>Bea reacted quickly, attempting to snatch them from his grasp. "Those are private!" she exclaimed, failing to retrieve them as he held them up above his head.</p><p>Looking up towards his hands, Klaus smiled. "They're hardly private when I'm in one of them!" he laughed. </p><p>"It's not funny- Give them back!" Reaching for them, Bea continued to push into Klaus as he walked backwards, his back eventually hitting her wardrobe as they scuffled for possession. Realising that they could walk no further, the two of them stopped struggling and stared at each other, panting slightly from the effort. It didn't escape notice that they were incredibly close, lips almost touching, and the energy between them crackled with electricity. With her proximity to him so close, Bea could feel something cold poking into her chest. Breaking eye contact and glancing down, she saw the glint of metal - dog tags to be specific - alongside a name. <em>Dave Katz. </em>Pushing away from him her face fell. "Whatever, just keep them," she said coldly. "Nice tags by the way."</p><p>Reaching instinctively to the dog tags hanging from his neck, Klaus' arms fell to his sides. "He meant nothing to me, Bea-"</p><p>"You have his dog tags! That's supposed to show me that he meant <em>nothing</em>?"</p><p>Klaus froze, memories invading his mind. "I-it's not in the way you think!"</p><p>"And what way do I think, Klaus?" Bea spat, spinning on her heel to face him.</p><p>"I didn't love him! Sure, we had one night together, but I was drunk, high and upset and I thought I'd lost you forever. He offered me comfort and I took it." Bea narrowed her eyes, prompting Klaus to hasten to finish his explanation. "I felt horrible afterwards-"</p><p>"Oh, well, as long as you felt <em>horrible,</em>" Bea said, sarcasm very apparent in her voice.</p><p>His eyes glazed over for a split second, before clearing. "I watched him die, he...died in my arms." Bea saw the sadness in Klaus' eyes. The kind of sadness and horror that anyone would feel if they saw their friend die. She suddenly felt very guilty herself. An unspoken understanding passed between them; Klaus didn't want to dwell on the fact that he watched Dave die and Bea didn't want to push him to do so. Bringing himself back on track, Klaus continued with his apology. "I've done some terrible things in my life, Bea. I've made mistakes. But I very rarely regret them. This..." he paused, staring at the image of himself and Bea in his hands. "This is the worst thing I have ever done." A lone tear rolled down his cheek as he looked down, suddenly ashamed to look Bea in the eye. "Ben didn't speak to me for days. He just sat, glaring at me."</p><p>"Ben?" Bea felt her heart rate quicken at the mention of Number Six. She'd had suspicions since reconnecting with Klaus that someone ghostly had been around, especially since Klaus would often look over his shoulder, appearing to space out, or seemingly talk to no one. What she couldn't decide, however, was who it was. "Ben was with you?"</p><p>Klaus smiled, still facing the floor, not minding that he had let that piece of information slip out. "He's always with me. Has been since the day of his funeral."</p><p>Placing her palm over her mouth, Bea struggled with words. "Oh my god," she managed, the sound muffled by her hand.</p><p>"Stubborn bastard managed to get through, even when I wasn't sober."</p><p>"How is that even possible?" Bea had assumed that the drugs and alcohol masked all of Klaus' abilities.</p><p>Finally raising his eyes off of the ground, he met hers. "I have no idea." Feeling brave, Klaus closed the gap between them, taking a risk as he held Bea's face in his hands. When she didn't react negatively and move away, he breathed a sigh of relief. "I can't take back what I did. But I can spend every day I have left on this miserable planet trying to make it up to you, Bea. <em>I love you</em>."</p><p>It was in that moment that Bea let her walls come crashing down. Klaus was right; he couldn't take his actions back. She had been away from him for ten years, pining for his touch and his voice in secret. Yes, they had both said that they loved each other, but they had never technically put a label on it. Klaus had been stuck in the past, for Christ's sake, scared and alone and not in a clean state of mind. If she was going to die in three days time, then she would do so holding onto the man she had loved since she was sixteen. There was no time to be petty; no time to waste spent being angry or sad at the world. She was motherfucking Poseidon and it was time she started acting like it.</p><p>"I love you too, Klaus," she smiled, her face relaxing as she leaned into his touch. Her reaction took him by surprise and he faltered, allowing her to take the opportunity to continue. "You're right, you can't take it back. But I forgive you for making a mistake - so long as you never do it again," she hastened to add.</p><p>Hearing her words, Klaus' face lit up in elation. He moved to kiss her, lips moulding perfectly against hers. Pulling back, he beamed at her, tears spilling over. "<em>Thank you,</em>" he whispered, kissing her again.</p><p>____________________________</p><p>Around twenty minutes after she had removed herself to her room, Bea wandered into the foyer of the Academy, hand in hand with Klaus. The two of them had decided that they were going to give a proper relationship a go, officially stating out loud that they were boyfriend and girlfriend. Immediately following that conversation, Klaus had asked Bea to tie him up, causing her to blush a deep shade of crimson. Laughing at her reaction, Klaus had clarified that it would help get him totally sober so that, hopefully, he could make contact with Reginald in the afterlife. Bea had denied his request, offering him instead a healthy glass of water. When she had started to leave the room, Klaus had protested, asking why she couldn't stay and just conjure the liquid to her. She explained that she could, obviously, but didn't want him to drink out of a dirty paint jar.</p><p>So that was how they found themselves here, heading to the kitchen. Before they could descend the stairs, however, they both heard suspicious noises coming from the living room. Upon entry to the room, Bea saw a large figure huddled over the bar, lifting drink after drink to his mouth. "Luther?" she asked in disbelief.</p><p>"Are you drinking?" Klaus questioned, letting go of Bea's hand so they could approach either side of Luther. "Holy shit, you're drunk!" he giggled. "And you busted into Dad's liquor cabinet - he's going to be so <em>pissed.</em>"</p><p>"Are you okay? Did something happen?" Bea stared dumbfounded as Luther turned towards them.</p><p>"Get him," Luther slurred, stalking towards Klaus. "Dad," he clarified, "Do it. Now."</p><p>Klaus sighed, smile dropping from his face. Allowing a quick glance to Bea, he stared back up at Luther. "I told you already, all right? I-I can't!"</p><p>In a flash of movement, Luther was upon Klaus, grabbing him by the neck and forcing him back into a pillar. With unnatural strength, Luther lifted his brother off of the ground, leaving him struggling as he gasped for breath.</p><p>"Luther!" Bea cried out, pawing at him as she tried to get him to drop the smaller man. In annoyance, Luther lashed out with his free arm, knocking the woman to the ground. She glared up at him from her position on the floor, observing how he showed no signs of letting up. At this rate, he would kill Klaus, and she wasn't about to let him go that easily since she only just got him back. Concentrating on the offending arm, Bea thought back to what Five had said earlier - about boiling the water in the human body. If ever there was a chance to try this out then it was now. As she kept her focus, Bea felt for the molecules of water in Luther's arm. Once she located and made herself familiar with them, she increased their speed, finding it remarkably easy to do so. As they heated up, Bea noticed the sudden discomfort on Luther's face. Within a matter of seconds he had dropped Klaus, cradling his arm as he looked to her in shock.</p><p>"What did you do to me?" he demanded, walking away from her. With her lack of concentration, the molecules began to cool, returning Luther's arm to it's natural temperature. </p><p>Bea ignored him, rushing to help Klaus from off of the floor, checking to see that no real damage had been done. Accepting that Klaus was okay, she rounded on Luther. "I don't care how drunk you are - next time I will boil it off!"</p><p>Now standing, Klaus spoke up. "Of course I tried to contact him, Luther! God knows, I've tried, but he is as he was in life - he's a stubborn prick!"</p><p>"He needs to answer to me for what he did," Luther mumbled, mood sobering. "For sending me up there. I sacrificed everything for him my entire life. I never left this house, I never had friends. And for what?" He sighed. "For <em>nothing.</em>"</p><p>Bea felt her heart breaking for Luther. This was a side to him that she had never seen; a side that he had never allowed anyone to see. She knew that, of course, he had the option to leave and make friends but his loyalty was far too strong. He was more vulnerable than she would have ever guessed and, as he sat sobbing into Klaus' shoulder, she knew he was releasing decades worth of pent up pain.</p><p>It wasn't until Luther stood, claiming he wanted to be like Klaus whilst pushing himself to his feet, that she really started to become concerned. "Where are you going?" she asked, moving to stop him. Shoving past her he kept going, only to do the same thing to Klaus who went sliding across the tiles with the force of Luther's swing.</p><p>"Well, shit," she breathed out, looking over to Klaus.</p><p>"Yeah," he agreed.</p><p>A shrill sound suddenly broke through the silence as the telephone rang. Throwing a questioning glance to Klaus, he motioned for her to answer it as it continued to ring. "Hello?" she answered, eyebrow raised. "Allison? Woah, slow down - are you okay?" Panic ripped through her as the weight of Allison's words hit home. Putting the phone down slowly, Klaus stood by her side, concern written on his face.</p><p>"What is it?"</p><p>She turned to him slowly, clutching his arms as her held hers. "Five's injured," she forced out. "He collapsed."</p><p>____________________________</p>
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<a name="section0026"><h2>26. t w e n t y . s i x</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>After hearing the news about Five's condition from Allison, Bea was torn. Her heart said to stay at the Academy and wait for the others to return, so that she could check for herself that he was going to be alright. That and the minor detail that she could very easily heal his wound, as she had done to the bullet graze he received earlier in the week. Sure, the effort that would be required for her to heal such a deep injury would be colossal and render her drained of energy for a little while, but the result would be worth it.</p><p>On the other hand, Bea's head told her to be sensible and focus on the problem that she was currently dealing with - Luther. She knew, deep down, that Five was just as safe with Allison as he was with her and that Allison would be able to treat his wounds when they returned to the Academy. Not as effectively as Bea could but certainly enough to stabilize him. Therefore she should really be concentrating on finding the drunk giant and ensuring he was not only safe, but also not causing issues for any unsuspecting bystanders.</p><p>Turning to face Klaus, who was still clutching her by the arms, Bea made up her mind. "W-we need to find Luther. He could be anywhere by now."</p><p>Klaus nodded, moving his grasp from Bea's forearms to her hands. "Yeah," he mumbled. "Good idea."</p><p>Holding his hands tightly in an automatic response, Bea subconsciously stepped closer to the man in front of her, needing his comfort as the stress-levels in her body rose. "Where do we even start?"</p><p>"Well," Klaus paused, suddenly looking guilty and uncomfortable. "He said he wanted to be more like me. My guess is we need to...hit up the clubs."</p><p>It was clear to Bea that Klaus was struggling through an internal battle. She knew that he was coming down from a high and facing serious narcotic withdrawal, so going into any nightclub would be like torture for him. Especially since they would be filled to the brim with temptations. Moving one of her hands, she cupped his cheek lightly. "Klaus," she said, drawing his attention. "I know this is going to be hard for you. If it's too much I can go by myself-"</p><p>"No!" Klaus interrupted, momentarily shocking Bea. His voice became smaller as he frowned, expression akin to a kicked puppy. "Please don't leave me on my own." </p><p>"Okay, okay, I won't," the redhead promised, tone soothing. "Are you sure you're going to be okay in there though?"</p><p>Klaus perked up, falsely wanting to reassure Bea that he was faring better than he really was. "Me? I'll be fine!" His response prompted an uncertain look from his girlfriend. "Honestly, Red, with you by my side I'm golden. Promise." Leaning forward, Klaus kissed her tenderly before turning towards the door, pulling Bea along by her hand.</p><p>_________________________________</p><p>Just over an hour later, the sun had firmly set as a blanket of night covered the city. Bea and Klaus had visited several establishments, all of which they desperately wished to forget, and had so far neither seen nor heard any mention of their missing Number One. A chill set in the air, and Bea was glad that she had been wearing a jacket as they left the Academy. Klaus, however, was wearing only a tank top. His body was cold to the touch as Bea held onto him, her arm hooked around his, yet a light sheen of sweat covered him from head to toe. <em>He's not looking so good, </em>she thought to herself. In her mind, she felt guilty for dragging him around on a wild goose chase when he was so clearly unwell. Yet, she convinced herself that keeping him moving and distracted would be good for him in the end. </p><p>In Klaus' mind, he really wasn't coping. Not only was he dealing with the physical symptoms of withdrawal, but he was also having to deal with the annoying voice of his brother constantly in his ear, telling him what a good job he was doing. At any other time this might have been a good thing; today, however, Klaus needed the silence of the night to keep him sane. "Would you <em>shut up</em> for one goddamn minute?" he suddenly shouted, startling Bea.</p><p>"I didn't say anything," she commented, confused.</p><p>Klaus sighed, dragging his free hand down his face. "Not you," he muttered. </p><p>"Then who are you talking- <em>Oh. </em>Ben, right?"</p><p>Looking into her beautiful sunset eyes, Klaus smiled, though the expression didn't quite warm his face. "Yeah, <em>Ben. </em>He won't shut up."</p><p>Although she couldn't hear him, Ben spoke up. <em>"I'm just trying to help."</em></p><p>"Well you're not helping!" Klaus shouted over his shoulder. </p><p>Bea stopped, jolting Klaus as he kept walking, still attached to her arm. As he was forced to stop he turned to her with a look of confusion. Unhooking their arms, Bea stepped in front of him, placing both of her hands on his shoulders. "Where is Ben right now?" She asked, looking behind him.</p><p>Klaus motioned to his left. "He's there."</p><p>"<em>Right,</em>" she whispered under her breath. Looking directly into the spot that Klaus pointed out, Bea steadied herself. "Ben," she started, "I have no idea if I'm looking you in the face right now or, like, the chest but just listen okay? Obviously, I can't hear what you're saying. I assume it's good things," she smirked. "Maybe let's just all walk in silence for a bit. Keep our heads clear. Is that alright?"</p><p>Ben smiled, not at all offended by what the woman in front of him was saying. "I'll stay quiet for you, Bea."</p><p>Looking at Klaus, Bea's eyes widened. "Did he say anything?"</p><p>"Oh sure, sure. He said 'I'll stay quiet for Klaus'."</p><p><em>"No I didn't!"</em> Ben hissed, wishing he could knock his brother upside the head.</p><p>"Thank you, Ben," Bea beamed, completely oblivious to the altered wording. </p><p>As they approached another club, Klaus began to falter, unsure as to whether he could face it. "Bea," he groaned softly, gaining her immediate attention.</p><p>"What's up?"</p><p>"Can you check this one on your own? I just need another couple of minutes in the fresh air." He leaned on a nearby wall, closing his eyes as he rested his head against it. </p><p>Planting a kiss against his cheek she smiled sympathetically. "Sure. Just, wait for me here, yeah? Don't move." Noting Klaus' weak nods, Bea headed into the nightclub, eyes peeled for Luther.</p><p>Outside, Klaus groaned again, clutching his stomach. "Ugh, this is...this is pointless," he said, opening his eyes to look at Ben. "I have to go home. I'm so dope sick." Pushing off from the wall, Klaus began walking in the opposite direction to the club, intent on stumbling back to the Academy. Ben, always the voice of reason, stepped into his path. On seeing this Klaus chuckled, amused. "You know I could just walk through you, right?"</p><p>"I'm well aware."</p><p>"Ta-da!" Klaus exclaimed in mock extravagance, proving his point as he walked directly though Ben's ghostly form.</p><p>"What's Phoebe going to think, huh?" Ben spat, as gently as he could. "When she comes out and finds that you're suddenly not there!" Klaus came to a halt, sighing as he hung his head. "She's already freaking out about Five and Luther; do you really need her freaking out about you too? Especially now that you're dating again-"</p><p>Klaus spun around to face his brother. "I'm trying, okay! I don't want to do that to her but I can't <em>do it </em>anymore. I can't be out here."</p><p>"Then you need to keep trying, Klaus! Stay with Bea; help Luther."</p><p>"He could be anywhere right now, doing God knows what." Walking towards Ben, Klaus became more animated as the excuses began to flow. "You know what? This is probably a good thing. The big guy needs a life, and tonight he's out there experiencing the real world!"</p><p>Ben, growing ever more exasperated at his brother's behaviour, rolled his eyes. "He's not ready for it-"</p><p>"Well, who is?" Klaus exclaimed. "Was I? Were you?" Realising his mistake, Klaus sobered, taking a step back. "I-I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry. I know you weren't ready to...die violently at a young age." Clutching his head in his hands, Klaus sighed. "<em>Sobriety isn't easy.</em>"</p><p>Ben stared at him, keeping a level gaze. </p><p>"But none of this is my responsibility - I didn't sign up to save you or him!" Klaus whined.</p><p>Taking a step forward, Ben glared, poking a finger into Klaus' chest. "You're right. You didn't. But if <em>you </em>were in trouble, there is nothing in this world that Bea and Luther wouldn't do to save your scrawny little junkie ass. "</p><p>"Guys!" The two men looked back towards the club's entrance, seeing a disappointed looking Phoebe bounding over towards them. "He wasn't there." Noting how Klaus was now shaking, Bea rushed over to him, squeezing his arm. "You still with me?"</p><p>Chancing a look into the space next to him, Klaus smiled through the pain he was experiencing, thinking back to Ben's harsh but much needed words. "I'm still with you."</p><p>"Great," she grinned, "on to the next one, then."</p><p>_________________________________</p><p>"We've been to seven bars, three strip joints and a laundromat. Luther's not here; can we go home now?" Klaus complained. It had now been over two hours since they had seen Luther and both live members of the party were beginning to grow frustrated. Klaus had experienced a few more waves of discomfort, but this time Bea had noticed and been there to guide him through them. Looking for Luther had not been a pleasurable experience so far. Klaus' head screamed in agony every time he heard the booming music leaking from the dodgy establishments, and Bea was sick to death of being groped every time she dared to pass by a man. Klaus hadn't been too fond of that either, growing as aggressively possessive as his current state of mind would allow him to be; he'd even managed to start a fight in the laundromat between himself and a drunk party-goer. He'd technically won, after his opponent swung and missed as Bea dragged Klaus out of the door by his shirt.</p><p>Bea sighed, worry gnawing at her from the forefront of her mind. She knew that they had to keep looking for Luther but she wished she could have an update from Allison on Five's condition. <em>Why didn't I give out my phone number?</em></p><p>"There are only so many places left, Klaus, we can't give up now." All of a sudden, a chorus of laughter rang out from around the corner, with mentions of a large, hairy man that could only have been the missing Hargeeves. Sharing a look, they made their way towards the entrance of the club, listening to the loud techno music playing from inside. Bea stopped Klaus before he could enter, giving him a pointed look. "Are you sure you're going to be alright in there? At this type of rave there will definitely be drugs floating around."</p><p>Klaus scoffed. "I'll be fine!" he assured her. "Eyes on the prize." Smiling, he pushed the doors open, his senses immediately overwhelmed by the lights, sounds and colours that lay within. He winced, placing his fingers in his ears. </p><p>"Klaus!" Bea shouted, trying to get his attention. His obvious pain made her feel incredibly uneasy. </p><p>"Let's split up!" he shouted back, pushing on through the crowd. </p><p>Jumping in front of him, Bea struggled to maintain eye contact as Klaus' eye darted around the room. "No!"</p><p>"Just go- I've got Ben!"</p><p><em>"Damn it." </em>Knowing she could trust Ben, Bea made her way to the other side of the room, keeping an eye out for the hulking figure of Luther. She pushed through crowds of glowstick-bearing patrons, becoming partially blinded by the flashing lights. "Luther!" she called, remembering very quickly that he would never be able to hear her over the music. </p><p>Around 5 minutes later she saw him. An enormous shadow, towering above everyone else, currently locked in a fight with club bouncers who where desperately trying to remove him from the premises. "Luther!" she called again, shoving clubbers out of the way. "Would you move?" When she got close enough, Bea noticed that a ring had formed around Luther, made up of people clearly entertained by the fight. Stepping to the center of the ring, she made brief eye contact with Luther, beginning to walk towards him before something else grabbed her attention and caused her blood to run ice cold. There on the ground, unmoving, was her boyfriend. </p><p>"KLAUS!" she screamed, skidding to her knees on the sticky floor as she leaned down to hold his face. "Klaus!" she called again, hovering her ear above his mouth to check his breathing. <em>He's...not breathing. </em>"Shit, shit, shit!" She panicked, briefly allowing grief to cloud her judgement. <em>He's not dying today, not on my watch, </em>she thought, slapping herself around the face and blinking quickly to rid her eyes of the pooling tears. Face stinging, she locked her hands together and began performing CPR. Refusing to give up she pressed on, relief engulfing her as, after a few minutes, Klaus gasped, sitting up as the air filled his lungs. </p><p>Bea cried, throwing her arms around his neck and kissing him soundly on the mouth. She didn't linger too long, however, because she knew that he would need to breath. </p><p>Shaking himself out of his stupor, Klaus locked eyes with the woman before him, a smile breaking out on his sweaty face.</p><p>Forcing herself to her feet, Bea stood, bringing Klaus with her. She scowled at the crowd surrounding them, angry that they had done nothing to help. "Show's over," she shouted bitterly, "so fuck off!" Hooking an arm behind Klaus, Bea guided him towards the exit, the cool night air that assaulted them a welcomed feeling. They were both breathing heavily, unsure of how to voice their thoughts on the events that had just transpired. </p><p>Bea broke the silence first, running a hand through her sweat-soaked brow. "You...you died Klaus." She swallowed thickly. "Just now. You <em>died.</em>"</p><p>"I know," came his simple response.</p><p>Bea frowned. "How do you know?"</p><p>"I spoke to him."</p><p>Bea chuckled, trying to lighten the mood. "Who, God?"</p><p>Klaus laughed in response, though for him it was nervous laughter. "No, surprisingly God is a little girl on a bicycle."</p><p>"What?"</p><p>He ignored her question, continuing on with his explanation. "I spoke to old Hargreeves. He was not happy that I died, let me tell you."</p><p>Bea felt her stomach drop, concerned as to what Klaus would say next. "So, what did he say?"</p><p>"A whole lot of nothing useful!" Klaus shouted, adrenaline catching up with him.</p><p>Seeing his distress, Bea closed the gap between them, hugging Klaus tightly around his waist. He wasted no time in hugging her back, clinging to her as if she were life itself.</p><p>"Let's go home," she mumbled into his chest. "I lost Luther and after what just happened I'm ready to call it a night."</p><p>"Agreed," Klaus whispered, pressing a kiss to the top of her head as fatigue threatened to overwhelm the adrenaline pumping through his veins.</p><p>_________________________________</p><p>Stepping out of the taxi, Bea helped Klaus to the front doors of the Academy. His condition was worsening as time went by, and he was now relying heavily on her to be able to walk. Bea was certain that a good sleep was all Klaus needed and that, come the morning, he would feel much better. </p><p>On entering the building, the first thing Bea noticed was how quiet it was. "Hello?" she called out, hoping for a response. "Allison? Diego?" she tried again. No answer came. </p><p>"Maybe they're asleep?" Klaus offered, words slurred by his exhaustion. </p><p>"Maybe." </p><p>Continuing their walk through the Academy's foyer, Bea headed towards the bedrooms, intent on depositing her boyfriend into his room and then visiting Five to check on how he was faring. As they climbed the stairs, Bea heard the distinct sound of high-heels clacking on the wooden floorboards. "Allison?" she asked, logic leading her to the conclusion that Allison was the only person it could be. Shock settled into her body, however, as instead of Number Three a very much alive Grace rounded the corner.</p><p>"Hello, dears," Grace said, smiling kindly at them. </p><p>"Mom?" Klaus muttered, confusion lacing his words. Turning his head he whispered in Bea's ear. "<em>I thought you said she died?</em>"</p><p>"<em>She did,</em>" Bea whispered back. Shaking her head Bea regained her focus, not having the time to dwell on Grace's mysterious reappearance right now. "Grace?"</p><p>"Yes, Phoebe dear?"</p><p>"Are Diego and Allison here?"</p><p>Grace smiled, a consistent feature on her pretty face. "Oh, they were but they both left around an hour ago."</p><p>"Oh." Bea couldn't help but wonder where they had gone. She planned to ask Grace if she knew, and was just about to, before a groan came from her right. Klaus was hanging his head, eyes squeezed shut and breathing rate increasing. As much as she would love to play detective, bigger priorities were in play. "Is Five still here?"</p><p>"Yes, he's resting in his room."</p><p>"Thanks, Grace."</p><p>On that final note, Bea once again began leading Klaus to his room. On arriving, she helped him lay down on the bed, wiping his brow with an old t-shirt that was laying discarded nearby. "Rest up, okay?"</p><p>As she moved to leave, Klaus grabbed her forearm desperately. "You're not going to stay with me?" he asked, pleading for her to lay down with him.</p><p>Breathing a laugh through her nose, Bea turned back to him. "I am. I'll be back soon - I'm just going to check on Five."</p><p>"Promise?" Klaus begged.</p><p>Leaning down towards him, Bea stopped as soon as her lips were an inch away from his. "Promise," she said, capturing his lips in a quick kiss. That seemed to satisfy the sleepy man; he rolled onto his back and closed his eyes, finally able to rest.</p><p>Sneaking out silently, Bea shortly arrived at Five's door. Gently pushing it open, she peaked inside. Her heart melted at the sight - Five was laying on his back, seemingly fast asleep, wearing the Academy's old uniformed pyjamas. She knew he was technically nearly sixty years old but, in that moment, he really did look thirteen. Tip-toeing over to his side, Bea perched on the bed, running a hand through his hair like a mother would their child. Five didn't stir, and Bea placed the back of her hand on his forehead to check his temperature.</p><p>"I'm not dying, you know," Five mumbled sleepily, causing the redhead to jump.</p><p>"Five! I thought you were asleep."</p><p>Opening his eyes, Five glanced up at her. "I was."</p><p>Bea winced. "Shit, did I wake you?"</p><p>"Not just now, but I heard you talking to Klaus." As he moved to sit up, Bea firmly held him down by his shoulders.</p><p>"Oh no you don't. Stay right where you are."</p><p>Five rolled his eyes in response to her actions. "Phoebe-"</p><p>"I can't heal you if you're moving about."</p><p>Raising a suspicious brow, Five eyed his sister. He had, admittedly, forgotten that she could heal wounds with her abilities. His shrapnel wound was a lot deeper than the bullet graze had been, and he wondered whether or not she truly would be able to heal it. Taking in her appearance, he also noticed that she looked tired herself. As much as he would appreciate the assist, he really didn't want or need for her to be draining herself for something that wouldn't affect him greatly much longer anyway. "You really think you can heal it?" he asked.</p><p>She scoffed lightly. "Show me and I'll tell you."</p><p>Five pushed the duvet away from where it was covering his torso, lifting his shirt slightly and revealing the dressing that Grace had applied. Bea looked to Five for silent permission, which he gave with a nod, and carefully removed the dressing. Seeing the depth of the wound she gasped slightly, pulling a dry flannel out from beside her. Calling to the water in the atmosphere she condensed it, wetting the flannel. "This won't hurt, so don't worry," she reassured him.</p><p>"I wasn't worried," Five replied, smiling at his sister. This was one of his genuine smiles and it lit up his entire face, softening his features.</p><p>Placing the flannel over the wound, Bea covered it with both of her hands, expertly channeling her power into it. In a matter of moments a flash of orange light appeared, lingering for a minute before fading away. As Bea removed the now dry flannel she frowned.</p><p>"What is it?" Five asked.</p><p>Bea looked up at him. "It healed but..."</p><p>"But?"</p><p>"I've never healed anything that bad before. It left a scar. I'm sorry."</p><p>Five chuckled sleepily. "I really don't care about scars, Bea. You've done me a huge favour. Thank you."</p><p>"You're welcome." Leaning over to kiss Five on the forehead, she was surprised when he didn't protest. "Get some sleep." Getting up, she walked over to the doorway, pausing to give him one last look. "Goodnight Five."</p><p>Now, overcome by a great feeling of fatigue as her energy drained, Bea shuffled back to Klaus' room. When she arrived, he was fast asleep. Crawling onto the small bed she tucked herself in next to him, falling asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow.</p><p>_________________________________</p>
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<a name="section0027"><h2>27. t w e n t y . s e v e n</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>To say she'd had a 'good' night's sleep would be an understatement. Bea hadn't been sleeping well as of late; with all of the concern for her loved ones, and the looming fear of death growing ever larger, restful nights had evaded her. Last night however, curled up next to Klaus, Bea had slept like a baby. She had been kept warm enveloped in her boyfriend's arms and was incredibly comfortable on the tiny mattress with him. </p><p>Speaking of Klaus, she was very much looking forward to waking up next to him for the first time in ten years. The reality of the situation though was different. As her eyes slowly opened and let in the light from the windows, Bea patted the space next to her, finding it surprisingly cool and vacant. Sitting up hastily she looked around Klaus' room, rubbing her eyes. She stretched, reaching up to the ceiling like a cat and feeling her bones crack as she did so. Now, fully awake, Bea was on high alert. <em>Did he sneak out? </em>she worried automatically. <em>Did he relapse and go to hunt down his secret drug stash? </em>Although Klaus had been shaking like a leaf from withdrawal last night, he had done remarkably well for himself in getting sober and Bea was proud. If he had snuck out to take drugs then it was something she would have to deal with; she'd help him get sober again if it was the last thing she ever did. And, current events taken into account, it may well be.</p><p>Placing her still sock-covered feet to the floor, she pushed herself out of Klaus' bed and walked out of the room, heading towards the kitchen. A final, optimistic thought of hers was that withdrawal had made him hungry, so Klaus may be there attempting to prepare himself something to eat. As she neared the kitchen, she began to hear voices. Well, <em>voice. </em>A conversation was happening but to the untrained ear it was one-sided. </p><p>"You're such a pessimist! She wouldn't think that." A pause followed Klaus' words before he spoke again. "She's more reason than you that I'm sober so I'm making her breakfast - and you know what? You don't get any!"</p><p>"Don't be mean to Ben," Bea smiled, waltzing over to them. When he heard her voice, Klaus spun around in shock. He looked rather comical, wearing a pair of bright red oven gloves and holding a frying pan and spatula in either hand. The detail that made Bea want to laugh the most was that there was absolutely no sign of ingredients anywhere, though the smell of coffee filled the space. </p><p>"Bea!" Klaus exclaimed, a frown adorning his handsome face. "Oh man - I wanted to surprise you."</p><p>She chuckled, leaning in to steal a kiss from his lips, drawing them into a smile that matched her own. "I'm definitely surprised. By the way, what wouldn't I think? I assume you were talking about me." </p><p>"Oh," Klaus looked pointedly towards an empty chair at the dining table. "Ben thought that me not being there when you woke up would make you think I was having an episode."</p><p>Bea blanched a little, trying not to let the guilt show. To save face, she questioned him. "Meaning?"</p><p>Still glaring at the chair, he pointed the frying pan towards it, tilting his head to the side. "That I'd run away to get <em>high</em>."</p><p><em>Shit. </em>Following Klaus' gaze, Bea folded her arms. There was no need for Klaus to know that it really was her exact initial thought. In fairness, she didn't believe that was what he was doing; she had just allowed the thought to cross her mind. "Why would I think that?" she asked, false hurt woven into her voice.</p><p>All of a sudden, Klaus gasped. "Don't just shrug - that's so rude!" He gasped again. "Rolling your eyes is even worse!"</p><p>"Klaus?"</p><p>"Yeah?"</p><p>"He didn't just shrug, did he?"</p><p>A brief silence swept over the room, eventually broken by Klaus' joyful laughter. "No, but he is so mad I said that."</p><p>Whacking him playfully on the shoulder and using her actions to emphasize her words, Bea laughed along. "Don't. Be. Such. A. Bully!"</p><p>Klaus spun on his heels, dropping his tools on the table and grabbing Bea around her waist in an effort to escape her attacks. As he lifted her partially over his shoulder she slipped a couple of times, the oven gloves doing nothing to hold her in place. After a few moments he lowered her to the floor, kissing her softly. "Okay I'll admit..." he began, and Bea thought he was going to apologize for his behaviour towards Ben. His response, however, was on a completely different topic. "I don't know how to cook." He backed away, posing exaggeratedly with his gloved hands. "I certainly make a tasty chef though, don't I?"</p><p>As he winked, Bea found herself blushing like a schoolgirl, previous thoughts forgotten. "Very pretty," she said, giggling.</p><p>Their domestic moment of bliss was cut short when a scuffing sound was heard from the doorway. Shortly after this sound, a figure followed - large, upset and homeless looking. Luther was dressed in a hoodie, drawn up over his head, and had re-donned his black woolly gloves to cover his hands. His face showed the typical signs of a hangover: a permanent frown etched into his sweat-sheened skin. As he stumbled into the kitchen, a hand to his forehead, Klaus beamed. </p><p>"Good morning again, sleeping beauty!" he laughed, his voice too loud for Luther who winced in response. "Is <em>Princess </em>Charming still roaming the halls?"</p><p>"What?" Bea asked, now sitting at the table. "Who's 'Princess Charming?"</p><p>"That's right-!" Klaus shouted, once again eliciting a wince from Luther, who perched in the chair opposite Bea. "You didn't hear." Lowering his voice to a fake whisper, Klaus looked over to her. "<em>Luther lost his virginity last night!"</em></p><p>Bea said nothing, instead widening her eyes and dragging them over to Luther, who looked back pleadingly, begging her not to comment. <em>"No-!" </em>she said in false disbelief.</p><p>"Yeah!" Klaus confirmed, bringing over a freshly brewed pot of coffee. </p><p>"You were still a virgin? But you're so lovable!" Bea continued, sarcasm apparent in her lilted tones.</p><p>Luther, not in the right headspace for the pair's antics, glared half-heartedly at them. "I'm really not in the mood for this right now."</p><p>Leaning forward in her chair, Bea narrowed her eyes. While she appeared playful, Luther could see the true meaning behind the expression. "After the runaround you gave us last night, not to mention the anxiety, I think we're free a little jeering. Wouldn't you say?"</p><p>Luther wasn't given time to answer as Klaus appeared again, coffee pot in hand and oven gloves discarded. He poured out four mugs of the hot liquid, including a mug for Ben. Bea wasn't sure if he did that as a joke or because he genuinely forgot that his brother was a ghost for a second. Either way, the gesture warmed her heart.</p><p>"Here we go," Klaus said, handing Luther a cup. "This'll fix ya."</p><p>In a flash, the mug was lifted from Luther's grasp as a pajama clad Five appeared. From her position at the table, Bea saw him enter the room looking far healthier than he had the night before. "You're looking better, Five," she commented.</p><p>"I feel it," he replied, taking a seat next to Luther. "Thanks again for your help." Bea loved the moments when she got to see Five at his best. Truth be told, Five could be an asshole at times, with an attitude befitting a grumpy, old man. But other times he was genuine and showed his appreciation for those around him. That was the Five that Bea remembered growing up with. Ironically, the bitter attitude reared its head only moments later. "Jesus," he cringed. "Who do I gotta kill to get a decent cup of coffee?"</p><p>"Snob," Bea muttered, taking a long sip from her cup.</p><p>"Can we get started please?" Luther interrupted, his head now resting against his arm on the table.</p><p>"Anyone seen any of the others? Diego? Allison? No?"</p><p>Bea glanced at Klaus. "Grace said they left last night, remember?"</p><p>"Alright then," he continued, now banging the spatula against the table. "This is the closest thing to a <em>quorum </em>that we're going to get. Now, listening up. There's no easy way to say this, so I'm just going to spit it out." Those sitting at the table were all staring up at him now, waiting with baited breath to hear what he was going to say. Klaus had stopped by the empty seat to the left of Bea, using her closeness as a silent comfort. After a beat, Klaus had still said nothing.</p><p>"Klaus-" Luther prompted, anxious to hear what his brother was thinking.</p><p>"I conjured dad last night."</p><p>Bea visibly relaxed, already having heard that information last night.</p><p>"I thought you said you haven't been able to conjure anyone in years," Luther commented, disbelief on the surface of his words.</p><p>"Ah, yes, I know but I'm sober. Ta-da!" Klaus smiled, proud of himself. "I got clean yesterday because of someone special," he nodded not so subtly towards Bea, "and then ended up having this...conversation with dear old Daddy himself."</p><p>To Bea's shock, neither of the two men opposite her seemed to take Klaus' words seriously. Instead, they acted like he was fabricating the whole event out of thin air. This upset her to a great extent. "He's telling the truth."</p><p>"Oh yeah? And how would you know exactly?"</p><p>Bea's gaze towards Luther turned hard. Though they had been making leaps and bounds in their relationship lately, he still had a habit of rubbing her the wrong way. Without missing a beat, she bit back. "I don't <em>know; </em>but I believe him because I trust him. You wouldn't know anything about trust would you, Mr. I-can't-handle-my-liquor-newly-not-a-virgin Hargreeves."</p><p>"Hey!" Klaus called, willing their attention to turn back to him. "Dad mentioned something important about his murder, or lack thereof because..." Suspense built as eyes fell back onto him. <em>"He killed himself."</em></p><p>Speaking at the same time, Bea and Luther had very different reactions.</p><p>"Oh my God!" </p><p>"I don't have time for your games, Klaus." Standing from the table, Luther made to leave the room.</p><p>"I'm telling you the truth!" Klaus pleaded.</p><p>Five, who had remained mostly quiet during the exchange, raised a quizzical eyebrow. "Why'd he do it then?"</p><p>"Isn't it obvious?" Bea asked. Five's questioning gaze turned on her, a silent nod for her to continue. "So that we'd all come back."</p><p>Klaus gestured towards her. "Yeah - he said it was the only way to get us all home again."</p><p>"No," Luther denied, towering over all of them. "Dad wouldn't just kill himself. There weren't any signs - suicidal people exhibit certain tendencies; strange behaviours."</p><p>"Like sending someone to the moon for no reason?" Klaus suggested.</p><p>"I swear to God, Klaus, if you're lying-"</p><p>"I'm not, I'm not!"</p><p>Bea looked up at Luther, trying to satiate his growing anger with logic. "None of this means he was suicidal, Luther. Think about it - Reggie, for some reason, wanted us all to gather. This is the only way we would."</p><p>"I'm sure-"</p><p>"No, listen. When I heard about his death I almost didn't come here. Even standing outside the gates I almost turned around. The only reason I did enter the Academy that day was the hope that <em>maybe </em>I would get to see Klaus again. Or Allison. Or Diego. If one of them had messaged me out of the blue to come to a family reunion - all of us - I probably wouldn't have come for fear of you being there." On hearing her confession, Luther visibly flinched. "But because it was the death of our...creator, I felt like I had to. It was a genius move."</p><p>"Master Klaus and Miss Phoebe are correct." An older voice chimed in from the doorway, causing all four of them to turn around. Pogo stepped in, the aged chimp leaning on his cane heavily for support. "Regretfully," he sighed, "I helped Master Hargreeves enact his plan." And there it finally was. The truth. Pogo spilled everything; how Grace's programming had been altered to not be able to administer first aid on the night of Reginald's death; how the two of them had worked with him to enact the ultimate plan to reform the Umbrella Academy. All of this done with hope of them being able to save the world from impending doom.</p><p>It was all too much for Luther. He felt lied to, betrayed and used. Growing angry - and sharing a few choice words - he stormed out of the basement kitchen, not bothering to look back. Pogo slowly followed, guilt evident in his hunched form. That left four of them at the table, staring dumbfounded at each other after the revelation. "I gotta think," Five muttered, disappearing in a flash of blue light. Four became three.</p><p>"Well-"</p><p>"You didn't tell me any of this last night," Bea commented, cutting Klaus off before he had a chance to speak. She was still staring after Pogo and Luther, eyes somewhat glazed over.</p><p>Her sudden words stunned Klaus. He looked to her where she sat between himself and Ben. He noticed that Ben was looking at him, silently berating him for his lapse in judgement, but he chose to ignore it for the time being. "What?"</p><p>"Last night," she repeated, allowing her eyes to meet his. "You told me that Reginald said a 'whole lot of nothing useful'. I don't know about you, but I'd say admitting suicide is a pretty important piece of information."</p><p>Klaus sighed, resting an arm on the back of her chair as he turned his body towards her. "I'm sorry, Bea; I was all over the place. It's nothing personal - I didn't want to believe it myself and I didn't want to overwhelm you."</p><p>Running a hand over her face, she softened her features, purposely forcing the tension from her body. "No. <em>I'm</em> sorry. That's not fair of me, especially when you had literally just died."</p><p>Klaus laughed, too jovial a reaction for the ominous words Bea had spoken. "Oh yeah!" he drawled. "I'd almost forgotten that happened." The reality of it was that Klaus had not forgotten; in fact the realisation of his own mortality played on a constant loop in his mind, like a broken record. He really didn't fancy dying again anytime soon, particularly now that he was sober, feeling better than he had in years, and had the most amazing woman to call his girlfriend. "Come on," he said, pulling Bea to her feet by the crook of her arm. "Let's just go hang out upstairs for a while."</p><p>"Don't we have any important jobs to do?" she protested vocally, not stopping the taller man from walking her out of the room. </p><p>Klaus shrugged, releasing her arm in favour of throwing his around her shoulders. "I'm sure Five will tell us when it's time to move."</p><p>Accepting his answer, Bea allowed Klaus to guide her upstairs, smiling once again at the sight of him by her side.</p><p>_______________________________________</p><p>An hour or so later, Bea found herself lounging comfortably on the floor of Klaus' bedroom, a worn rug beneath her. She had previously retreated to her own room to collect her antique wooden easel, and now she happily painted Klaus as he struggled to knit something, sprawled out on his bed. This time together had been blissful, not to mention peaceful. As they waited for Five, the pair had granted themselves the opportunity to relax for a while, and Bea was ecstatic that she had subsequently regained her muse and passion for painting. </p><p>As a knock sounded at the door, Bea jumped, painting a large, dark streak across the canvas. She called out in indignation, but was dismissed quickly by the intruder, who strode over to Klaus.</p><p>"Hey, get up - we're going," Five announced.</p><p>"Where?" Klaus asked, lazily rolling his eyes towards him.</p><p>"To save the world."</p><p>"Oh, is that all. Great."</p><p>Five, rolling his eyes at the glare he was still receiving from the female in the room, paced around. As he did so, he relayed his thoughts about his father - how <em>somehow </em>Reginald had always known about the apocalypse without the ability to time travel and that now Five had devised a plan to stop it. He finished by announcing that in order to accomplish his goal, he would need their help.</p><p>"What, like the three of us?" Klaus asked, helping Bea up from the floor before standing in front of Five.</p><p>"Uh, well, ideally no but-"</p><p>"You don't think we're useful?" Bea asked, folding her arms. </p><p>"<em>You</em> are," Five said simply, pointedly raising an eyebrow at her. </p><p>"Hey!" Klaus pouted, feeling singled out. He was sober now and certainly feeling his powers prickling directly at the surface of his skin, instead of buried deep down.</p><p>Uncrossing her arms, Bea's demeanour abruptly changed, becoming much lighter as she remembered something she had wanted to discuss with Five earlier in the day. "By the way," she began, beaming at him. "Guess what? You were right about my powers!"</p><p>Frowning, Five shifted on his feet. "What do you mean?" he questioned, admittedly confused by her outburst.</p><p>"The boiling thing!" she clarified. "I'd never tried it before, but then Luther overstepped and I just...boiled him. It was strange."</p><p>A silence followed as Five appraised Bea, unsure whether to be impressed or slightly concerned. "Please elaborate on what you mean by you 'boiled him'."</p><p>"Do we really have time for this? I heated up the water in his arm and it hurt him - that's the gist." She glanced hastily between the two men. "Now, weren't we going somewhere?"</p><p>"Right," Five agreed, turning to leave the room. Klaus and Bea followed behind unquestioningly, placing their full trust in Five's plan - whatever it may be. When they entered the hallway, a shadowy figure ran towards them. Bea immediately recognised it as Diego, who had been missing since last night. "Where have you been?" Five asked.</p><p>Diego didn't physically stop as he replied, opting instead to dip inside his room to grab his gear. "Jail," was his simple answer.</p><p>"Jail?" Bea asked, horrified. <em>What on earth did he do to end up in jail?</em></p><p>"Long story," Diego called from his room. "Where's Luther?"</p><p>"Haven't seen him since breakfast," Five answered, stopping the trio outside Diego's room.</p><p>Now, geared up and ready to go, Diego emerged, facing them head on. "Allison is in danger."</p><p>"Hold up," Bea said, stepping to the front of the group and raising her palms. "<em>Allison</em> is in danger now? Why does this keep happening? Am I the only one who hasn't gone missing?" Without giving any of the men a chance to respond, Bea answered her own rhetorical question. "Oh my God, <em>I'm the only one who hasn't gone missing.</em>"</p><p>"Calm down, alright?" Diego said. "I didn't go <em>missing.</em>"</p><p>"You just said you were in jail!"</p><p>"That's beside the point. We need to find Luther and go save Allison."</p><p>A silent agreement was settled as the four of them rushed towards the entrance of the Academy. With only two days left before the end of the world, they needed to unite together, no man left behind. They needed to find Allison - and fast.</p><p>_______________________________________</p>
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<a name="section0028"><h2>28. t w e n t y . e i g h t</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Hurrying outside, the four of them rushed towards the makeshift carpark around the side of the Academy. Diego's car was missing, Bea noticed, which made his seemingly random use of an ice cream truck all the more understandable. The only vehicle left available, aside from her Harley - which Bea was increasingly grateful was still there - was the car that Five had been utilising since his return. As they drew closer to the vehicle in question, Five and Diego spoke at the same time, whilst both reaching for the door handle.</p>
<p>"I'll drive."</p>
<p>"I'll drive."</p>
<p>The two men instantly let go of the object as their hands made contact, acting as though they had been burned simply by each other's touch. Five, pinching his brow, turned sharply towards his brother. "This is <em>my </em>car, Diego, so I think <em>I'll</em> drive it."</p>
<p>Diego scoffed, folding his arms across his toned chest. "It was our <em>father's</em> car - not yours. If you think I'm going to let you-"</p>
<p>"Do we really have time for this?" Bea said, voice raising above Diego's as she cut him off from over his shoulder. "I thought you said Allison was in danger!" she added, accusatorily. In response Diego spun around slowly, rolling his eyes and shifting his weight to his other leg. The two of them had still not made up since their earlier fights; Bea was angry and deeply hurt that Diego had blamed her in part for Patch's death, let alone the fact that he clearly wasn't willing to hear her side of the story. Diego, on the other hand, was currently so full of strong and conflicting emotions that he had yet to properly register how much he had upset his sister, especially his cold and biting remarks. Keeping her gaze on him, Bea continued, sunset eyes burning holes through his deep, chocolate ones. "Why the hell are we wasting time arguing about who gets to drive?" </p>
<p>What neither of them had noticed, however, was the fact that Five was no longer standing on the other side of Diego. Instead, he was waiting impatiently in the driver's seat, hands on the steering wheel and knee bouncing in anticipation. As he pressed the car's horn, a shrill sound echoing around the empty alleyway, Bea jumped, immediately darting her gaze towards the source of the noise. "When did you-?" she started to question before her favourite brother cut her off.</p>
<p>"Get in!" Five barked. </p>
<p>Not having to be told twice Klaus, who up until this point had remained uncharacteristically silent, stepped around his girlfriend and his brother to the other side of the car, wrenching the front passenger side door open. "Shotgun!" he called, laughing as he all but fell inside. As he settled himself down in his seat, he noticed Five was looking at him strangely, his youthful face contorted in mild disappointment and disdain. "What?" Klaus muttered, blinking, unfazed by the boy's expression.</p>
<p>"You're a child," Five said simply, turning around to face out of the car's back window. "Will you two hurry it up? You can scream at each other later for all I care."</p>
<p>Subtly rolling her own orange eyes, Bea stepped around Diego, opening the car door that formerly resided between them. "After you," she said politely, allowing a small but sarcastic smile to appear on her pretty face. Diego said nothing, shaking his head as he lowered himself into the car, sliding over so that he sat behind Klaus and made room for Bea to follow. </p>
<p>Once they were all comfortably in, Five started up the vehicle. "So," he began, "where to?"</p>
<p>"I know exactly where Allison went," Diego confessed, leaning forward between the two front seats. "But before we go there we need to pick up Luther."</p>
<p>Five nodded. "I agree - we all need to be together if we're going to stop this thing." Sparing a glance towards the back seat, he asked the very question that Bea was thinking. "Where is he, by the way?"</p>
<p>"That's...a good question," Diego stated, leaning back in his seat.</p>
<p>Bea, who had refrained from making a snarky comment that would be neither welcome nor needed, wracked her brain. Luther had found out some devastating news - they all had, bar Diego - and felt somewhat betrayed. The fact that he had spent the entirety of his adult life staying at the Academy, and working for a father who knew all along that the world would eventually end, must have been eating away at him. She remembered how he had stormed out of the kitchen that morning, and with only a matter of days before their impending doom, Bea guessed that Luther could have possibly gone off to start living. This meant that, unfortunately for them, he could be <em>literally anywhere. </em>This was the thought that she chose to relay in that particular moment. "He could be anywhere," she said solemnly, speaking directly to Five. "He's been so messed up over the last twenty-four hours."</p>
<p>"You sound like you care." Bea turned to Diego, picking up on the surprise in his voice, not to mention the mocking tone - which she did not appreciate. "When did this happen?"</p>
<p>"I guess, unlike you, I'm capable of letting things go," Bea spat softly, still able to appear delicate though her words aimed for the jugular like one of his knives.</p>
<p>"Hey!" Before Diego could respond to her thinly veiled insult, Klaus suddenly perked up from the front of the car. "Do you think he's out there drinking somewhere?"</p>
<p>"Drinking?" Five questioned.</p>
<p>Klaus smiled. "Yeah! When he found out about all that moon missioncrap he went straight to <em>Daddy's bar. </em>Got drunk off his ass!"</p>
<p>"You're right," Bea nodded, sighing. "But there's a lot of places he could drink at."</p>
<p>"Well, he'd want to be left alone, right?" Klaus mused, rubbing his hand across his chin. "What about that drab little Irish place? Total mood killer if you ask me," Klaus concluded, winking at Bea with his final thought. She blushed lightly in response, still not used to the seriousness of Klaus' flirtatious advances. It wasn't an unwelcome feeling.</p>
<p>The group unanimously decided that they would try Klaus' location suggestion - given that they had no other leads. None of them had any idea how events would play out; only that they needed to get to Allison as quickly as possible.</p>
<p>_______________________________________</p>
<p>It would take them around ten minutes or so to reach the pub that they believed Luther to be in, and Bea was starting to itch under their current conditions. The car was deadly silent, save for Klaus quietly humming to himself from the front of the vehicle. Bea could feel the tension coming from her right; she and Diego had pressed themselves as closely to their respective car doors as they could, without seeming obvious, to keep their distance from each other. She never wanted their relationship to head this way. As children they had been so close, and at the start of the week they had been so amicable towards one another that it seemed like no time had passed at all. So much had transpired over the last couple of days and their attitudes towards each other had become glacial. Glancing subtly over to Diego, Bea decided that in the time it took for Five to drive to their destination she would attempt to patch things up.</p>
<p>"Diego," she started, keeping her voice low in hopes that Five and Klaus wouldn't overhear. Diego, on hearing his sisters muted voice, slid his gaze to his left. "I just wanted to-"</p>
<p>"We should probably fill you guys in about Harold Jenkins," Five interjected, effectively cutting his sister off. It was unclear whether or not he had heard Bea talking or simply wanted to fill the reticence himself.</p>
<p>Five's voice had startled the water-bender, though. Closing her mouth momentarily she faced forward, severing contact with Diego. "Wait, who?" she asked, subconsciously forgetful of the previously mentioned name.</p>
<p>"Harold Jenkins," Five repeated tersely. "The guy who starts the apocalypse! Don't become stupid now, Bea."</p>
<p>Frowning, Bea straightened her back as she sat up, hands gripping the seat on either side of her. "You startled me and I got confused, Five!" she said, defensively. "I'm not an idiot so don't treat me like I am one."</p>
<p>Five looked up towards the rear-view mirror, catching his now angry sister's eye. His look was harsh, given the gravity of their circumstances, but it softened slightly as green met orange. "I'll never call you an idiot unless you deserve to be called one. Don't twist my words." Staring into his reflection, Bea's breath caught in her throat. She remembered the last time he had spoken those exact words to her - when they were twelve and sitting under the big tree in the courtyard of the Academy. In her stunned silence, Five continued. "Diego got Jenkins' file from the police station. Turns out he and Leonard Peabody are one and the same."</p>
<p>"'Leonard Peabody'?" Klaus asked, putting his feet up onto the dashboard. "Are we supposed to know who that is?"</p>
<p>Five, breaking eye contact with Bea, glanced to his right. "Vanya's boyfriend?" he stated, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. "And get your feet off of there."</p>
<p>Ignoring Five's command, Klaus chuckled sweetly. "Little Van-Van has a <em>boyfriend? </em>Good for her!"</p>
<p>"No, not <em>'good for her'</em>!" Five snapped. "He's a convicted murderer."</p>
<p>Bea's eyes widened and she started to feel her palms sweating where they now rested against her thighs. "Woah, woah, woah - slow down. Can we start from the beginning please?" Before giving either Five or Diego a chance to speak, Bea carried on, a thought suddenly popping into her head. "Was this the guy that we saw with Vanya yesterday?"</p>
<p>"OH," Klaus sat up, dropping his feet to the floor. "That slimy dude who was hanging around her! He gave me the <em>willies</em>...and not in a good way."</p>
<p>Klaus' comment only succeeded in making Five roll his eyes. "Yes. Turns out 'Leonard Peabody' is an alias he's going by. 'Harold Jenkins' got locked up in jail for twelve years for bludgeoning his father to death with a hammer."</p>
<p>"He also has a creepy shrine to us in his attic; except instead of celebrating us he's scratched our eyes out and burned our faces off," Diego added.</p>
<p>"Christ," Bea muttered, feeling the distinct chill of fear course through her. In her childhood days of Umbrella Academy escapades she'd had to deal with criminals and psychopaths; the key difference here was that none of them had seemingly had an unmistakable hatred towards them specifically.</p>
<p>"And Allison is currently on her way to Jenkins' grandmother's house to confront him - hence why the necessity to get to her quickly," Diego continued.</p>
<p>Bea blanched, sharply turning towards him. "Does she know about him?"</p>
<p>"Yeah - she was there when I got the file."</p>
<p>"Then why is she going alone?" Bea shouted, voice reverberating around the enclosed space of the vehicle. "How could you let her go by herself?"</p>
<p>Diego clenched his fists, not appreciating the sudden onslaught of accusations. "If it escaped your memory, <em>Phoebe</em>, I got thrown in jail for the night."</p>
<p>The use of her full name from Diego with that particular tone was equivalent to a physical slap in the face. He rarely called her that, and only ever when he was angry - be it with himself, the world in general, or specifically her - or if he needed to connect with her on a personal level. It hurt, and she would have to address it later, but Bea knew she had to keep the tears at bay for the sake of her sister. </p>
<p>"Point is," Five cut in, "we need to get to her - fast. Ironically for me we can't go back in time and stop her." He once again returned his gaze to the rear-view mirror, this time looking at both Bea and Diego. "So shut up about it until we get Luther. We're nearly there, by the way." Focusing back on the road, Five went silent as he drove on.</p>
<p>Bea folded her arms across herself, glancing out of the window to her left. <em>Five is right, </em>she thought. <em>We can't change what's happened. </em>She really did want to make up with Diego, so they could effectively work together as one unit like they used to. For now, however, she concluded that they both needed a few minutes to cool off. Settling her head against the headrest behind her, she remained quiet, hoping they really would be with Luther soon.</p>
<p>_______________________________________<br/><br/>A few minutes later, Klaus led the group's way into the dark pub, gesturing proudly at the hulking figure sitting by himself in the centre of the room. "Look," he pointed, alerting Luther to their presence. The four of them crowded around his table, different expressions of worry and impatience adorning their faces. "Trying a little hair of the dog, are we?" Klaus asked, resting one hand on the table as he shifted his weight.</p>
<p>Bea noticed immediately what a sorry state Luther was in; his face was stormy and, by the way he was cradling his beer mug, he'd had more than a few at this point. The pub really was drab - there didn't seem to be any lights switched on to illuminate the space so the patrons were left hiding in the darkness. <em>Not exactly an inviting atmosphere, </em>she thought.</p>
<p>"Leave me alone," Luther mumbled, sparing a disdaining glance at the other Hargreeves. </p>
<p>Diego ignored him, choosing to instead sit himself down in the chair next to Luther and remove his gloves. "Give us a minute," he said dismissively, waving the others away. </p>
<p>Five and Bea both stared at him in disbelief, not happy with the less than polite dismissal from their brother. Klaus, on the other hand, paid no mind. "Okay. Come on," he started, guiding Bea gently by her shoulders to turn away. "Maybe they'll brood each other to death." Five followed, leaving voluntarily, and the three of them moved to lean against another table a few meters away. Even though they had left Diego to speak to Luther alone, it wasn't a private space, so eavesdropping was to be expected.</p>
<p>"Look, Dad was wrong to lie to you. To all of us," Diego began, eyes wide and calm in an effort to subdue Luther and convince him to listen. </p>
<p>Unfortunately, the larger of the two was having none of it. His gaze was murderous as he looked his brother in the eyes, his own so full of hate for a world he had never been able to experience. "Look, I did my time, alright? Four years up there - watching and waiting because <em>he</em> said the world needed me. Four years of nothing but soy paste and processed air because I was naïve enough to believe that dads don't lie to their kids. But guess what?" he scoffed, laughing bitterly. "The joke's on me."</p>
<p>Bea's heart went out to Luther in that moment. He looked so sad; so broken. Ironically, he looked very similar to how she had appeared when she'd been kicked out of her home by him all those years ago - scared for the future, not knowing what to do next. It would have been so easy for her to laugh at him, to mock him for the karma that was clearly catching up to him and yet...she didn't feel that way about Luther anymore. Back in the car ride, Diego's words had got her thinking. <em>When did I start to care? </em>She had made the decision to not allow Number One's words or actions to get to her anymore, choosing to brush them off and annoy him instead. However, she soon found herself weeping into his large arms and spilling her heart to him after Klaus' confession, allowing him in where he never would have been allowed to be before. Bea wasn't sure whether or not she <em>cared </em>about Luther but one thing was for sure - he wasn't her enemy any longer. <em>Adults don't have enemies anyway, </em>she told herself. <em>It's a childish notion. </em>As far as she was concerned, they would become one, big happy family again if it killed her.</p>
<p>Her mind was brought back to the room when she noticed Diego looking at the three of them; asking for guidance, she assumed. Whilst the two men on either side of her did nothing, she made a hand gesture at him, non-verbally motioning for him to continue trying. Before the knife-wielding man could speak, though, Luther continued his tirade.</p>
<p>"I'm done," he stated, staring into his mug. "With all of it. With him. With you. With this <em>family</em>. You want to save the world? Go right ahead. I'm fine to sit here and finish my beer and...get my <em>buzz on," </em>he finished, downing what was left of his drink.</p>
<p>This whole new attitude of Luther's was unbelievable. What happened to the arrogant asshole who always had to be 'Number One'? Who always made sure to put others down to show off his own superiority? All of the fight in Luther had vanished and it made Bea sad. No - it made her furious. <em>How dare he give up and risk the lives of millions of innocent people when he was preaching to Five how wrong that was just the other day? </em></p>
<p><em>"Pathetic," </em>she muttered, shaking her head as she drew her eyes to the ground, crossing her arms in contempt. Five glanced up at her, eyebrows drawn together, as Klaus also looked her way. Five agreed - Luther was being pathetic - something they just couldn't spare the time for.</p>
<p>Luckily for all of them, Diego had one final trump card up his sleeve. "You want to turn your back on me, the guys, Phoebe <em>again, </em>that's fine." He sighed, picking up his gloves from where they lay on the table. "But Allison deserves better than that."</p>
<p>"Allison?" Luther asked. "What are you talking about?"</p>
<p>"Well, we got a hold of Harold Jenkins' police file," Diego explained. "Turns out Vanya's boyfriend is a convicted murderer." The mention of Harold Jenkins' true colours still made Bea's skin crawl. </p>
<p>"Wait, so...where's Allison now?"</p>
<p>"She decided to go after Harold Jenkins," Diego said simply, knowing that it would have great impact on Luther. "Alone," he confirmed.</p>
<p>In a matter of seconds Luther's entire demeanour changed. He shot up, scraping his chair along the ground as he stood. "You should've led with that!" he said, anger and incredulity lacing his tone. As he ran for the door he forced it open, far too heavy handed. The others hastened to follow,  pausing momentarily to stabilize the pub's now broken door. Now that Luther had been successfully acquired, they only had one job to do: protect Allison Hargreeves.</p>
<p>_______________________________________</p>
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